Just over a year after a devastating incident where a family of seven, including five children, tragically perished in a fire near the main Jamalpur dumpsite of the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation on Tajpur road, the city of Ludhiana, Punjab's largest waste producer, remains on the edge of a disaster. The Tajpur site is burdened with over 25 lakh Metric Tonnes (MT) of accumulated waste spread across 50 acres, and an additional 1100 MT of garbage is added to it daily. The recurring fires at the dumpsite continue to jeopardize the lives of nearby residents, particularly ragpickers, exposing them to various health hazards, including eye and lung infections. Of the total 3074 MT of waste produced daily in Punjab by 13 Municipal Corporations (MCs), Ludhiana alone contributes 1000-1100 MT, the highest among them. Just recently, on May 18, a major fire broke out at the site, persisting for at least two days. The ensuing smoke made it difficult for people in the vicinity and neighboring villages to breathe. Although a fire tender has been permanently stationed at the site following the tragic incident involving the family, it offers little respite from the persistent problem. Fires continue erupt multiple times a day, often escalating into major conflagrations, particularly during the summer season. Furthermore, the processing plant at the site remains closed due to a legal dispute between the MC and the private firm A2Z. Consequently, not a single ton of waste in Ludhiana is being processed. An inquiry report by the monitoring committee appointed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has described Ludhiana's solid waste management as a "story of failed promises." Subsequently, the green tribunal imposed a hefty fine of Rs 100 crore on the Ludhiana civic body. However, this has not spurred the MC into taking significant steps to address the massive accumulation of legacy waste through large-scale bioremediation, which is possibly the only solution to the city's garbage crisis. While a pilot project for the bioremediation of 5 lakh MT of waste has commenced, only 2 lakh MT has been processed so far. The pilot project is being executed by Sagar Motors, a firm based in Maharashtra. The NGT report, submitted by Justice Jasbir Singh, former judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court and chairman of the NGT monitoring committee, reveals glaring shortcomings. The report, initiated after the inquiry into the family's fire-related deaths near the dumpsite, also exposes the deplorable living conditions of ragpickers, their families, and others residing in the vicinity. The report states, "The administrative setup in Ludhiana has failed in terms of compliance with the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, notified on April 8, 2016. It is a story of broken promises. The timelines for all the activities mentioned in the 2016 Solid Waste Management Rules, covering 11 thematic areas, have expired." The report, however, does not conclusively determine the cause of the fire that led to the family's tragic demise. It suggests, "There may be foul play in this case, as the jhuggi (hut) near the deceased family's jhuggi did not show any signs of burning or damage. The possibility of fire due to short-circuited electricity, given the illegal/kundi connections made by the ragpickers residing near the solid waste dumping site, cannot be ruled out. Additionally, the occurrence of fire incidents at various locations within the sprawling 52-acre dumpsite cannot be dismissed." The committee also highlighted that it's not just Ludhiana city, but the Municipal Councils in the district, including Jagraon, Payal, Khanna, Samrala, Mullanpur, Doraha, Machhiwara, etc., are openly disregarding solid waste management regulations. The district administration was informed about these violations, but no tangible outcomes have been observed. Harpal Aujla, an expert in solid waste management at Ludhiana MC, mentioned that tenders for the bioremediation of 20 lakh MT have been issued. The work is in progress, and the goal is to complete 5 lakh MT as a pilot project within this year under the Smart City initiative. Dr. Vipal Malhotra, the health officer at the MC, explains, "The dump site continuously produces methane gas, which leads to frequent fires. A fire tender has been permanently stationed there. We have informed the police not to allow any shanties near the dump. It should be noted that those residing in close proximity to the dump are doing so illegally."
