Work on solid waste plant in Mohali begins

Till now, garbage of the entire city was dumped in a densely-populated area surrounded by industrial units, mega projects and residential areas like, IT major Quark Media, Dell Computers and Punjab8217;s most-touted special economic zone QuarkCity. The Residential Welfare Society of the PSIEC Housing Complex in the Industrial Focal Point claimed that the garbage was dumped against the national dumping rules.

The foul smell of the garbage and the smoke from the burning of the garbage had been causing health problems like breathing, skin and eye complications.

The Residential Welfare Society had been fighting a legal battle seeking shifting of the dumping ground from the present site.

As a short-term arrangement, the Mohali District Administration had last year requested the Chandigarh Administration to allow the dumping of garbage for processing at Chandigarh8217;s waste processing unit but the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation MC had categorically refused to accept the offer.

The Mohali District Administration had proposed that since the MC was setting up a new unit of a capacity of 600 MT and presently Chandigarh8217;s total garbage generation was much less than that, Mohali Municipal Council may be allowed to dump its garbage in that unit till a separate unit comes up in the city.

Now, with no other option in hand and even the Punjab and Haryana High Court directing the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development SHUD, Punjab, to file a status report on the steps being taken to set up the solid waste treatment plant in Mohali, the department of Housing and Urban Development has stepped up its efforts to set up the facility as per the site earmarked in the Master Plan in Sector 102-A by initiating the land acquisition proceedings despite opposition by the residents of Chaomajra, Dairi and Dharali villages.

As per the acquisition notice under Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, 34.29 acres in Dharali, 30.14 acres in Chaomajra and 11.57 acres land was being acquired in Dairi village for dumping and burning garbage and waste material of Mohali, said officials in the department of Housing and Urban Development.

Officials said, as per the directions of the High Court, the issues regarding the setting up of a solid waste treatment plant in Mohali were being discussed and sorted out between the Mohali Municipal Council and the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority under the overall supervision of SHUD Arun Goel.

Sources said initially the new site will be used as a scientific garbage dumping and burning centre before setting up of the solid waste treatment plant under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission JNNURM.