E-Paper
Readers’ Take: Mount Garbage mars City Beautiful
Tired of mismanagement and minor tweaks that have come to nought in managing the city’s piling solid waste, most tricity residents agree that the civic body and administration need to pull up their socks. They believe that it is time for a policy overhaul, and technological advancements are needed to put an end to this persisting issue
Recycle plastic waste
Segregation is the most effective way to tackle waste menace. All the wet waste should go into one landfill to make manure that should be liberally distributed to the farmers to also encourage organic farming. The dry waste of plastic needs to be recycled in the form of eco bricks that can be used in making public toilets or benches in the parks or even walls or in construction of roads, something which has been previously done. Going forward, a complete ban of single use plastic is also required to further control the plastic menace.
Shweta Mehra, via email
Ensure safety of sanitation workers
In view of the city’s poor performance in Swachh Survekshan last year, the municipal corporation (MC) has decided to equip its staff with new equipment and machinery worth more than 3 crore. A substantial amount will add a new technological dimension to the sanitation drive. In addition, several infrastructural issues will be strengthened to improve the service to the satisfaction of the citizens. All the additions are expected to give a boost to street sanitation, but the MC should also focus on sanitary workers and provide them with gloves and safety kits so that they do not inhale toxic gases from the garbage. The MC should involve councillors and motivate them to have at least one composting pit in the ward and direct the people to throw kitchen and garden waste into the pit as per instructions. Strict implementation of the plan will certainly boost the ranking of the city this time.
Usha Verma, Chandigarh
Policy overhaul needed
Dadumajra legacy dump is a classic example of short-sighted vision, poor planning and missing accountability of the persons responsible for getting the work done. Prescribed procedures, not to select the dumping ground near the residential areas have not been followed. The administration selected 45.11 acres of land and started dumping garbage generated in the city without visualising and making a fool proof plan for its processing. Consequently 5 lakh MT garbage from the year prior to 2005 became legacy waste. The garbage processing plant installed by the Corporation in 2017, had been processing 80 to 90 MT against the capacity of 300MT and the dump has now grown beyond proportion. The MC has failed to manage its own affairs and a complete policy overhaul is needed. A dedicated officer needs to be deployed and and a new processing plant with enhanced capacity should be set up. It is also suggested that all the politicians and UT administration officers should approach the Government of India for providing additional funds to help with the project.
Kidar Nath Sharma, Chandigarh.
Time to get practical
Even though the majority of residents are segregating waste for the past three years, Dadumajra dumpsite has made life difficult for them. Swacch Bharat Swarekshan should be taken up by the MC seriously. Handling of legacy waste, ETP plant for leachate with proper capacity, making sure that only dry waste reaches the dumpsite, wet and kitchen waste should be handled in each sector, allotting vantage points for composting should be taken up seriously. Serious attention must be given to ensure that combustible, toxic waste and medical waste shouldn’t reach the dumpsite. Extensive measures should be taken to ensure that non segregated waste does not reach the dumpsite. Greenbelt and forests need to replace the dumping sites as much as possible. UT waste, as it stands, can easily be managed in an inexpensive, scientific and practical manner.
Samita Kaur, via email
Current practices proving counterproductive
It is time that the civic body try and clear the legacy solid waste dump at Dadumajra at a faster pace, which has now become a health hazard for the nearby population due to frequent emission of methane induced fire smoke. Since prevention of fire incidents in the summer and wasting precious water to douse fire by authorities has not helped and in fact proved counterproductive. Removal of the dumping site by faster mode even at higher cost has become the need of the hour.
SC Luthra, Chandigarh
Think beyond dumping sites
It is high time that waste management is given top priority for the UT so that our graph goes up in Swatch Survekshan Abhiyan mission and dumping ground near Dadumajra can be done away with. Both biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste must be segregated. Dry waste needs to be compressed by hydraulic methods; the same can then be made into flower pots, tiles, benches dustbins etc. Wet waste should be collected separately and placed in rectangular bins set up in each sector for making organic manure. Our aim should be no waste should go to make mountains of waste like at Dadumajra.
TBS Bedi, Mohali
Comprehensive new approach needed
To improve the collection of garbage waste, important steps need to be taken. for that an effective and efficient planning is needed to ensure the right implementation. UT administration needs to tackle the issue of garbage collection by creating awareness among the residents through campaigns, roadshows about segregation and other ways to keep the city clean. Implementing the policy for waste segregation and charging fines to violators, segregating the waste at processing plants instead of source, training for garbage collectors could all go a long way in to resolve the problem of waste collection
Prabhjot Nagpal, Zirakpur
IIT expert report required
The dumping ground at Daddumajra has troubled residents and the UT’s civic body for a long time now. There is an immediate need for an action-based team to handle this crisis for the city. IIT team experts in solid waste management can help the municipal corporation. The civic body should seek an expert report from IIT to check emissions at Daddumajra. The authorities should deploy additional staff to the dumping ground. resident welfare associations (RWA) can motivate city residents to do waste management at home. The civic body may engage a private firm with a target of three months. This coordination among all will help the administration to clear the dump.
Sunny Dhaliwal, Chandigarh
Administration and citizens need to come together
Chandigarh is a modern and planned city, but poor cleanliness and dumping of garbage have done a great deal of damage to its image. Determination is the key to successful tackling of the problem. The MC has been wasting time on tendering for a and that has resulted in the city slipping in the Swachh Survekshan ranking. Success demands perseverance, and positive suggestions should be taken from experts to help reach a resolution. The MC should remove the dumping site and complete the solid waste processing plant shortly with present machinery. All the employers and responsible persons should be motivated to prepare manure in their campus and parks from the dry leaves. The authorities should avoid purchasing new tractor trolleys and citizens should help spread awareness on segregation of waste.
Sumesh Kumar Badhwar, Mohali
Make proper use of funds to tackle problem
UT administration and the MC have coined the term ‘legacy waste’ as an attempt to cover up their cumulative failure to solve the city garbage collection problem. One could ask if the ‘legacy waste’ was left by the British at the time of their leaving our country or by the founder and visionary behind the city, our first Prime Minister Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru? The simple answer would be no. Successive administrations’ incompetence has led to creation of these mount of waste in a planned city. The job to remove 5 lakh metric tonne garbage was fixed for May, 2021 and continues to shift quarter by quarter. Massive funds have been sanctioned for the project, but little progress has been made. It is time to get a move on and authorities will need to make arrangements.
Suresh Verma, Chandigarh
Landfills need to be managed better
It was shocking to see yet another fire at the Dadumajra solid waste dumping site. Landfill fires are an ongoing, complex global concern as they pose a threat not only to the environment, but also human health. Effective landfill management by the MC and operators is necessary to prevent the occurrence of these harmful fires. It calls for the need to construct and operate well-engineered municipal solid waste landfills that are regulated under strict union and state governments regulations to ensure the protection of human health and the environment.
Sanjay Chopra, Mohali
Prohibit dumping sites in residential areas
It is laxity of the UT administration that the dumping ground at Dadumajra is in a state of negligence. Every now and then a fire breaks out, causing trouble to the nearby residents. Garbage needs to be processed timely. The best place for a dumping ground is to be away from the city. Walls can be constructed to avoid fire incidents. To better manage the sites, horticulture waste can be used to prepare manure and sold to residents to earn revenue. Recycled waste should be recycled, while the rest should be processed on a routine basis to avoid stink and fire incidents.
Abhilasha Gupta,Mohali
Expert help required
The repeated fires at Dadumajra dumping ground resulting in the emission of smoke and harmful gases and its impacts on health is a matter of concern. The MC should immediately hire a team of engineers and environmental scientists to help find a solution to the problem. To avoid piling of garbage, the number of processing units should be increased. Further, the MC should start composting garbage into manure to generate income.
Subhash Chugh, via email
Proper research needed for policy-making
When it comes to waste management, it is very important to gather as much information as one can before getting to policy-making. The avoidance and reduction of waste is a very important part of management and we can find good techniques from across the globe that can help in establishing the new aspects of reuse and recycling. Collection, transport, processing, recycling, and/or disposal of waste are all important stages in the. Recycling maximum waste could help reduce the volume of landfills, air and water pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and preserve natural resources for future use. Composting is another great method of tackling waste. In short, proper research and execution will be key in improving waste management.
Ishita Nara, via email
Residents’ health biggest casualty
The stalled waste processing plant needs to be immediately started while ensuring that there is no risk of fires. Authorities should use models of other cities’ waste processing plants. For management in summers, they should use the model of recycling plastic and keep a close eye on developments. The waste processing plant should be started as soon as there is a respite from the heat and the process of clearing out the legacy waste should be done quickly. If this problem is not solved, it will become worse and will affect the health of the city residents near this plant.
Saikrit Gulati, Chandigarh
Change starts at home
The waste mountain that has come up in the UT needs to be undone by not adding more trash to it. The MC must re-process waste and not let more in. Segregation at individual levels from the homes must be done on priority basis and failure should attract a penalty. People need to be educated and made aware of the consequences of the fires that take place and the MC must take the matter seriously and that action must get percolated to its citizens as well.
Garv Bhupesh, Panchkula
Collective effort can help tackle problem
Why does MC keep waiting for the worst to happen? Chandigarh has slipped down in the category of cleanest cities and it is time we learn from cities like Indore and others to better manage our waste. Authorities must educate its citizens as only a collective effort can help curb the problem. Display banners, posters, WhatsApp information groups to create awareness can also help
Anju Mohan, Panchkula
MC’s failure comes to fore again
The garbage dumping at Dadumajra needs immediate attention of the MC and UT administration. The dumping site is a very serious health hazard to the residents of the city. The smoke emanating from the site releases toxic elements on account of frequent fires. The civic body has failed in implementing the phased-wise projects in clearing the waste and missed several deadlines. So either the dumping site should immediately be shifted out of Chandigarh or a state-of-the art solid waste management plant should be set up.
Anil Kumar Yadav, Chandigarh
Put technology to use
The waste disposal concern is an age-old problem, but the advancement in technology has given us ways to curb the menace. Though the MC has taken over the waste management in Chandigarh, the waste disposal is still a major concern especially to the residences of Dadumajra and New Chandigarh. The dumping ground here is nothing less than a health hazard and it’s high time that new advancements including bio-remediation, plasma gasification and sanitary landfills must be incorporated in waste management, or else a health pandemic because of this waste is definitely in store.
Komal, via email
Expert takes
MC is clearing waste
We are in the process of clearing all legacy waste. The dumping site is already being cleared. The waste processing capacity of the solid waste processing plant is also being improved.
Anindita Mitra, Chandigarh MC commissioner
Process daily waste
The MC is in the process of finalising the integrated waste management project. It should ensure that daily waste generation should be processed.
Debendra Dalai, director, environment, and member secretary, CPCC
Fix responsibility
The cause for these fires must be investigated and responsibility must be fixed. These fires rage for days, causing discomfort to all those living in close proximity to the dumping ground. The MC must also expedite the processing of this waste.
Dyal Krishan, president, dumping ground joint action committee, Chandigarh
Segregate waste
Segregation of waste at households and the dumping site should be strictly followed, and garbage must be properly disposed of and processed.”
Shushma Saini, lecturer, National Institute of Nursing Education, PGI
Reader of the week
Relocate the Dadumajra dump
The civic body must properly and safely dispose of the heaps of waste accumulated in Dadumajra to keep residents safe from the myriad health issues arising from their proximity to the dump. It is high time that the dump is relocated. Wet and dry waste must be segregated at the source, and fines must be imposed on those violating waste-collection norms. If the issue is not resolved, the day is not far when garbage will cover the entire city.
Harkanwar Kaur, Chandigarh
