Former councillor leads protest against RMC point in Mohali, residents lock facility

“People can’t even sit in their own homes or eat a meal peacefully because of the foul smell,” said Jha, adding that the agitation began only after the situation became “absolutely intolerable”.

Mayor Amarjit Singh Jeeti Sidhu, who visited the protest site, assured the residents that he stood “like a rock” with the people of Mohali. He said efforts were underway to resolve issues at Phase-5, Phase-11, and other problematic points, but blamed GMADA for not providing an alternative site for waste disposal. “If no solution is found by September 30, I will personally cut the barricades and shut this point down,” Sidhu warned. He also dismissed the government’s plan to dump waste at Samgoli, citing litigation over the land and the lack of an access road.

Local councillor Baljeet Kaur urged that the issue not be politicised. Deputy Mayor Kuljit Singh Bedi reminded the gathering that since the closure of the dumping ground, he had repeatedly pressed GMADA and the administration for a solution. “Without public unity, this problem will be difficult to solve,” he said.

Shiromani Akali Dal district president Parvinder Singh Sohana accused the mayor and the MLA of letting their political feud harm the people. He claimed the Akali Dal had invested Rs 2,400 crore to strengthen Mohali’s infrastructure, but subsequent governments “failed to build on it”, leaving residents to suffer. Mohali Industries Association president Baljit Singh Black Stone called on residents to begin an indefinite sit-in from today.

Bedi recalled, “When the dumping ground was shut a year and a half ago, I staged a protest, even burnt an effigy of the government, and demanded land from GMADA but neither residents joined me, nor did the bureaucracy or the government listen. Had we united back then, this crisis wouldn’t have emerged.” He reaffirmed that he still stands with the residents “and will always”.

The protest was also attended by speakers, including Sukhjeet Singh Nia Shahr and Engineer Kalsi. Residents have now formally begun a permanent sit-in at the RMC point and declared that no garbage trucks will be allowed to unload there.

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