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Journalism of Courage
Severe air pollution has gripped Sector 91 and the adjoining Industrial area, after municipal garbage dumped on vacant land near Baliali village was allegedly set on fire repeatedly. Thick smoke has blanketed the residential and industrial belt, pushing the Air Quality Index (AQI) above 500, a level that signals a hazardous public-health emergency.
Advocate Jaskaran Singh, a Sector-91 resident, slammed the Mohali Municipal Corporation for “gross negligence” in waste management. He alleged that garbage piles near Rao, Patiala road, and several stretches bordering the Industrial Area are routinely burned. “Municipal employees secretly burn waste late at night,” he claimed, adding that toxic fumes have made it nearly impossible for residents and factory workers to breathe or even step outdoors.
Anurag Agarwal, former MIA president, said due to garbage burning in Phase-7B and Phase-8B in Industrial Area also reported similar incidents of garbage burning near factory units, further deteriorating air quality and disrupting operations. Industrial staff complained of eye irritation and breathing issues due to the continuous smoke drifting into workshops and production units.
Residents said they have been fighting this battle for weeks, but despite repeated complaints, the administration has failed to take firm action. Health concerns are rising sharply, especially among children and the elderly.
Locals demanded immediate intervention from the Municipal Corporation, strict monitoring in the industrial belt, and a complete crackdown on garbage burning. They have also urged the Pollution Control Board to step in, declare a health emergency and implement long-term corrective measures.
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