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Ruckus in House over Mohali’s poor performance in Swachh survey
Mohali stood 128th among the 903 cities competing in the 50,000 to 3 lakh population in the Swachh survey, the results of which were announced on Thursday
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The Mohali municipal House on Friday witnessed ruckus over the city’s poor performance in Swachhta Survekshan with councillors raising concerns over the absence of a proper garbage processing mechanism in the city. Mayor Amarjit Singh Sidhu, meanwhile, blamed the state government for lack of financial support.
Mohali stood 128th among the 903 cities competing in the 50,000 to 3 lakh population in the Swachh survey, the results of which were announced on Thursday. This was a steep fall from its 82nd spot it clinched last year, and its worst performance in three years. It also fared poorly in Punjab, where it had topped the list among 16 cities last year, but was reduced to the 11th place among 35 cities this time.
The city has been left without a designated site for waste disposal ever since the Punjab and Haryana high court ordered the closure of the Phase 8-B garbage dump. Despite clear guidelines under the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, garbage is being dumped illegally at various locations, including Sector 58 (Sahimajra), Phase-11, Sector 48-C, and adjoining villages.
This was one of the parameters where the city underperformed, besides failure in waste segregation at source.
Phase-11 councillor Kulwant Singh Kler raised the issue of garbage dumping in his area and cited that it poses a serious risk owing to its proximity to the international airport and Air Force station. The Congress councillor further said that the dump site has also been causing severe inconvenience to nearby residents due to the foul smell. “We urge the authorities to shift it immediately, or else, we will be forced to protest,” said Kler.
Congress councillor Narpinder Singh Rangi, said, “The entire city is in a mess, with garbage heaps in every nook and corner. Even near Gurdwara Singh Shaheedan in Sohana, a massive garbage pile can be seen.”
Mayor Sidhu responded to the councillors saying, “We had requested ₹200 crore from the state government for solid waste management. But so far, no funds have been sanctioned. The government hasn’t released funds from GMADA either, nor has it approved key agendas on time.”
“We’ve asked GMADA multiple times for land to set up a proper dumping site, but there’s been no cooperation. Instead, the issue is being politicised while residents suffer,” he added.
Municipal commissioner Parminder Singh said, “I take full responsibility for the drop in the Swachhta ranking, and I completely own it. But we must now focus on finding a solution to improve the ranking next time.”
