Society demands shifting of Mohali Dumping Yard

Advocate Satwant Singh Rangi (left)

Mohali: The Residents Welfare Society (RWS) of Punjab Small Industries & Export Corporation (PSIEC) Housing Complex, Mohali has reiterated its demand of shifting the dumping ground from Sector 74, industrial area, Mohali to village Samgauli, near Dera Bassi, as was already assured by the state government. 

The dumping yard has been causing trouble to the people of residential as well as industrial area, because the foul smell, mosquitoes, flies and the hazardous medical waste pose a serious danger to the health of the residents and the employees alike.  

Sardar Baldev Singh, ex-president, RWS said, “We first raised the issue in the court on 19 April, 2006 and pursued it with political leaders, officials and legal experts, but to no avail. The dumping yard is still in the centre of SAS Nagar. Our legal counsel Satwant Singh Rangi has been looking after the matter since then. On the assurance of the Principal Secretary (Dept of Local Govt Punjab), the civil Writ Petition was earlier disposed of on 2 May, 2012, and the solid waste management project was proposed to be completed within 6 months at village Samgauli, Derra Bassi.”

 

The petitioner’s representations and letters fell upon deaf ears of State Govt, inspite of seeking information under the RTI Act about the progress in the project. Facing these hardships the petitioners were forced to again knock the doors of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on 19 September, 2019, in order to revive the earlier petition. The court has recently issued a notice to the state government and Mohali administration. Next date of hearing is 29^th October, 2019.

The dumping yard is situated in the heart of Industrial Area and IT Area in Sector 74. Adjoining this eye sore, is the residential Sector 91 on one side and Chappar Chiri, a historical monument on the other side. Punjab government is claiming this location to be a star attraction for IT setup with Quark, Teleperformance and hundreds of start ups as well as established IT companies operating in the buildings, adjoining this garbage yard. Even so, Punjab CM Capt Amarinder Singh laid foundation stone for ASSOCHAM, a prestigious body literally within the dumping ground.

Even local MLA, Balbir Singh Sidhu has written to the Deputy Commissioner, Mohali, Commissioner, Municipal Corporation SAS Nagar, Mohali and SDM Dera Bassi to shift the garbage dumping yard to village Samgauli as proposed by the State Govt, as the area is surrounded by residential sectors i.e. Sector 90-91 and IT Hub, Sector 74 and Industrial Area, Phase 8-B.