During the resumed hearing of the ongoing PIL concerning the dumping ground at Dadumajra, a comprehensive presentation on the proposed solutions for the clearance of the dump and a contract for the same was submitted before the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Thursday by the Municipal Corporation. As the matter came up for hearing before the Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Ritu Bahri and Justice Aman Choudhary, counsels from the Municipal Corporation and the chief engineer conveyed that the project, aimed at addressing the issue of two dumps, had received approval with an estimated cost of Rs 400 crore. The proposed plan outlined a 15-year strategy, accompanied by detailed technical specifications presented before the division Bench. Appearing in person, one of the petitioner, advocate Amit Sharma expressed concerns, highlighting that there are three garbage mounds and not two in the first place so the plan is inadequate ab initio. Sharma asserted that similar written submissions from MC are on record in replies in 2016 with a comparable timeline assuring of a resolution in the future and this then led to subsequent contracts and deadlines without resolving the issue on the ground till date. Sharma argued that “corruption” and “inefficiency” within the MC were the root cause of the problem, emphasising the pressing need for transparency. He further pointed out that despite multiple requests, the MC had not provided contracts and results for the last five years. On the contentions of the petitioner, the Bench clarified that addressing corruption through PIL was not the ideal approach at this stage, focusing solely on the technology and solutions embedded in the contract. In response, the Bench directed the petitioners to research the contract thoroughly, proposing viable alternatives for consideration by both the court and MC. While MC argued that all relevant technologies were already considered and rejected, Sharma cited examples from Indore, questioning the need for a Rs 400-crore budget when Indore cleared and processed a larger quantum of waste in six months in Rs 10 crore. Following arguments, the Bench granted the petitioners an additional opportunity to submit a comprehensive reply, including researched alternatives by January. The case, stemming from a 2021 PIL filed by Sharma and merged with the 2016 petition of Dadu Majra resident Dipti, represented by advocate Ranjan Lakhanpal, remains focused on addressing the ongoing challenges posed by the garbage dump.
