Horticulture waste being dumped in Chandigarh’s southern sectors

Residents say nothing is being done despite repeated complaints; MC officials tasked with lifting waste in these sectors say they will look into the matter

The residents of Chandigarh’s southern sectors have had it with the waste problem in the area which they claim has become a dump yard despite prompt complaints to the civic body authorities.

Horticulture waste dumped on a vacant plot in Sector 46, Chandigarh. (HT FILE PHOTO)

As per the chief coordinator of Chandigarh Residents Association Welfare Federation (CRAWFED), Rajinder Garg, an empty patch of land in Sector 46-A has become a dumping ground for horticultural waste.

“The land exists between 1-kanal kothis where garbage collectors and residents frequently chuck their waste. The municipal corporation too has failed to resolve the issue, instead the officials ask us for money to hire vehicles to pick up the garbage. Don’t we pay enough taxes already,” asked Garg.

When asked, area councillor Gurpreet Singh Dhillon said he has been routinely getting the spot cleaned in the past. “The land belongs to the UT administration, but we still get it cleaned routinely. I was hospitalised for Covid treatment, so I was unavailable for the past few days. I will get this issue resolved on priority now,” he assured.

In Sector 33, this problem continues despite repeated complaints from residents. Sector 33-A RWA president Jagdish Singh Sarpal said, “The park near the Sehaj Safai Kendra is lying in a state of neglect while horticultural waste is also dumped regularly in an empty plot next to Tender Heart School.”

MC officials tasked with lifting the waste here said they would look into the matter. The civic body is also in the process of buying more vehicles to lift horticultural waste from the city.