Residents living near old dumping ground oppose move to set up new dump in area
Baldev Singh Nagwanshi, chairman of the Joint Action Committee of sectors 74 and 90‑91, said, “We have been fighting legal battles against this dumping ground for the last 18 years. Even after winning the case in 2012, no serious action was taken by the corporation. We will not allow any conspiracy to establish a new landfill here.”
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Residents of sector 74/90/91 and Chappar Chirri protest at Industrial Area 8B in Mohali on Sunday. Jasbir Malhi The garbage issue in Mohali has once again sparked outrage as residents living near Phase 8B opposed the suspected move to set up a new dumping ground on the site of the old one. On Sunday, when JCB machines began clearing around 13–14 acres of land adjacent to the previous landfill, angry locals blocked the work, forcing the drivers to abandon their machines and leave.
Just days earlier, MLA Kulwant Singh had convinced protesting Shahimajra residents to end their sit‑in, assuring them that the plant would be shifted to a new site where an 8‑foot boundary wall and a modern waste‑segregation plant would be constructed. However, the sudden movement of heavy machinery near Phase 8B has reignited fears and anger among nearby residents.
We will not relive that hell, say residents Ramdeep Kaur of Sector 90 recalled the years of toxic smoke from frequent landfill fires: “Residents inhaled poisonous air for years until the court intervened. We won’t suffer that hell again.”
18 years of struggle cannot go to waste – Nagwanshi
Baldev Singh Nagwanshi, chairman of the Joint Action Committee of sectors 74 and 90‑91, said, “We have been fighting legal battles against this dumping ground for the last 18 years. Even after winning the case in 2012, no serious action was taken by the corporation. We will not allow any conspiracy to establish a new landfill here.”
He said that on August 18, the Punjab & Haryana High Court’s Court Commissioner is scheduled to visit the site, and residents plan to present their concerns directly.
‘Dump it in Samgoli, Not in Our Backyard’
Rajinder Singh Sidhu, president of RWA Sector 90‑91, took a hard stance, saying, “Under no circumstances can the MC dump waste near the old landfill again. The corporation already owns 50 acres at Samgoli — if they must dump waste, let them do it there, not here.”
Golf ground dreams turned Nightmare: Hundal
Former president of Golf View Towers, Babita Hundal, added, “This area was meant for a golf course, but instead, it became a garbage ground. If the machines are clearing land for a golf range, we welcome it — but if it’s for waste dumping, we will never allow it.”
We won’t bow to pressure: Village head
Jaspreet Singh, sarpanch of Chhapar Chiri Kalan, claimed he was being pressured not to oppose the work but declared, “We will not back down under any pressure. A dumping ground will never be allowed here.”
MC and mayor defend move
Mohali Mayor Amarjit Singh Jeeti Sidhu responded that the site belongs to the Municipal Corporation and that “the government is taking decisions, not the MC. Personally, I have always believed waste must be lifted within 24 hours to ensure no inconvenience to residents.”
Commissioner Parminder Pal Singh also maintained that “this land is MC’s property, and we are only reclaiming and cleaning it. No one should object to that”.
Unified Public Outcry
Prominent residents, including Deepak Kumar from Akmey Heights, Vish Kumar from Post City, and various RWA leaders from several societies, joined the protest. They raised their voices in unison: “We reject any new dumping ground here. The government must find a scientific and permanent solution to Mohali’s garbage crisis, not put residents’ lives at risk again.”
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