Centre clears Waste-to-Energy project for Dadu Majra, flags MC’s responsibility

“My repeated interventions in Parliament to get the Dadu Majra garbage dump eradicated and the site bio-remediated seem to be moving forward, given the response of the Minister of State for Urban Development and Housing,” Tewari said.

Tewari said the approval of the Waste-to-Energy project and the Centre’s financial commitment marked a significant step, but noted that the Centre clearly emphasised the responsibility of the Municipal Corporation and the Chandigarh Administration to ensure that the dumping site is cleared.

Alleging that the “laxity” of the Corporation and the Administration was glaring, Tewari said they had repeatedly furnished contradictory deadlines for clearing the site before Parliament, courts and Parliamentary Standing Committees, and then failed to abide by those commitments and obligations.

For years, the Dadu Majra dumping ground has remained a major civic and environmental concern in Chandigarh, with residents and environmental groups flagging health hazards and pollution risks. The latest approval from the Centre places renewed focus on whether the local authorities will now adhere to a time-bound plan to clear the site and implement bio-remediation measures alongside the proposed waste-to-energy facility.