How garbage is choking N-choe in Chandigarh

A visit to at least five locations suggests that sewage water is being drained in the choe while garbage, concrete waste, medical waste, unused furniture, and broken sinks were found thrown on both the edges of the choe. Most of the thrown garbage has reached inside of the stream.

The worst situation was witnessed at Hibiscus Garden in Sector 36. A wide drain pipe, which is only for the storm and rainwater, was emitting continuous sewage water, making a small pond where the water fell and moved further. The location is very close to the building of Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) and Alliance Francaise, a french institute. Around 13.04-km-long N-choe originated from the north in Chandigarh. It passes through sectors 2, 10, 16, 23, 26, 42, and 53. At Sector 23 point, though, notice boards depicting punishment for those who were caught throwing garbage in choe were found installed in one of the polluted points.

Almost 250 meters ahead of this spot, waste concrete material apparently belonged to house constructions and whitewash was found dumped in the choe in Sector 36/42. At least three giant furniture items including a sofa were dumped on the edge of the choe. Similar scenes were found in other locations in Sector 23, Sector 42 etc. A common thing was evident among the most polluted points where the maximum garbage was found dumped was that these points were located nearby the roads. Installing fencing has also failed to prevent the throwing of garbage at these points.

“Months have gone by when rains took place in Chandigarh. There is still water in the choe. This is the sewage water. If you look at these points attentively you will find one thing common. These points where different kinds of garbage was dumped/ thrown are either nearby the main roads like Dakshin Marg, Jan Marg or internal roads of the sectors. One of the polluted points is Sector 23 and Sector 36 passing through Dakshin Marg,” environmentalist, LR Budania, said.

The environmentalist added that even garbage collectors who collect door-to-door garbage and those who organise community langars were found dumping waste there. “The most dangerous part is the drainage of sewage water. N-choe is the lifeline of Chandigarh. The thrown dump choked the choe resulting in storm water not pass through this stream which was witnessed during last years monsoon,” he added.

According to the NGT guidelines issued in 2019, the UT administration is to ensure the release of 100 per cent treated water into rivers and drains by March 2020. Although in 2021, NGT had found hardly any significant development. There are at least six operational sewage treatment plants in Chandigarh.

TC Nautiyal, Chairman, Chandigarh Pollution Control Board (CPCB), which is responsible for ensuring that untreated water does not drain into the streams, said, “I agree that sewage water is being drained along with garbage being dumped into the N-choe”. He added that he was informed about this by locals after which he instructed both the Municipal Corporation (MC) and Engineering Wing of the UT administration to look into it.

Sources said that the issue of sewage water drained in the choe is being raised by a few councillors but no concrete measures have been taken yet.

“Although the large responsibility lies on the MC but our joint teams will visit these areas. We will plug the leaking points from where sewage water leaked and went into the choe,” Chief Engineer, UT, CB Ojha, said. Meanwhile, repeated calls to chief engineer (MC), NP Sharma and MC Commissioner Anindita Mitra went unanswered.