E-Paper
Mohali: Chapparchiri residents oppose garbage plant, MC chief assures eco-friendly solution
The protest comes in the wake of the MC’s attempt to identify a new site for waste disposal, after the closure of its previous dumping ground following a Punjab and Haryana high court order
A delegation of Chapparchiri residents, who have strongly opposed the proposed garbage processing plant in their area, met Municipal Corporation (MC) Commissioner Parminder Pal Singh Sandhu on Tuesday to reiterate their concerns over potential health and environmental hazards. However, Sandhu assured them that the plant would be a state-of-the-art, waste-to-energy facility, based on eco-friendly technology.
The protest comes in the wake of the MC’s attempt to identify a new site for waste disposal, after the closure of its previous dumping ground following a Punjab and Haryana high court order. Mohali currently generates nearly 200 to 250 tonnes of waste daily, but lacks a fully functional system to manage it. Existing plants at Shahimajra and Jagatpura, despite being equipped with machinery, remain non-operational.
“The plant will not emit any foul smell or harmful gases. It will be a completely environment-friendly solution. The first step will be building a boundary wall on the 13-acre site, for which approval has been sought from the Punjab government,” Sandhu said. The residents seemed somewhat reassured after the meeting.
Two days earlier, protests erupted at the two proposed waste disposal sites in the district — one at Chapparchiri and the other near Kambala and Dharamgarh villages. On Sunday, angry villagers stopped MC teams from starting work and blocked the Mohali–Chandigarh road near Phase 11.
Residents argue that establishing a garbage facility close to residential areas could lead to a spike in diseases due to increased flies, mosquitoes, and foul odours. They are demanding that the plant be shifted to a non-residential location and have warned that protests will escalate if their concerns are not addressed.
