All that glitters in this cash-rich city is garbage
Open dumping of garbage, not only at 50-odd secondary dumping points of the MC, but in empty plots and green belts, is taking a toll on public health and the environment
LUDHIANA: Making tall claims about ‘Swachhta’, the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation (MC), the biggest MC in the state, has failed to improve the scenario in terms of cleanliness. Open dumping of garbage, failure in cleaning Buddha Nullah, filthy condition of public toilets and clogged sewer lines continue to plague residents’ lives. Such living conditions have become a blot on the face of the city.
The city’s ranking in the Swachh Survekshan 2020 has come as a major disappointment at 34 (3,113 marks on 6,000) among 47 big cities, which competed under the category of population above 10 lakh. In 2019, the city stood at 163 among 425 cities.
This ranking, however, was among cities with population above 1 lakh category. This year, there were two categories. The first was of population above 10 lakh, in which Ludhiana figured, and then cities with population between 1 lakh and 10 lakh.
In a silver lining, Ludhiana has bagged the ‘Best Big City in Innovation and Best Practices’ award, but the MC, which has a budget of Rs 1,044 crore for 2020-21, has failed to resolve long-pending problems of city residents.
The rankings this year had four parameters. These were direct observation; citizens’ feedback; service level progress and certification with each carrying a weight of 1,500 marks. Ludhiana lagged in service level progress and certification as the MC secured 1,115 marks under direct observation; 1,070 under citizens’ feedback; 627 in service level progress and 300 marks under certification.
Open dumping of garbage, not only at 50-odd secondary dumping points of MC, but in empty plots and green belts is taking a toll on public health and the environment. In the pre-lockdown period, the industrial city used to generate around 1,100 ton of garbage daily. This number now varies due do lockdown restrictions.
MC told to deposit money
With the MC failing to implement solid waste management, the monitoring committee of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) to impose bank guarantees on the MC. This means that the MC has been told to deposit money with the PPCB.
Bank guarantee of Rs 5 lakh has to be imposed for failure to complete door-to-door collection of waste/garbage, ₹5 lakh for failure to construct a boundary wall and establish a green belt around Tajpur road, the main dump site, and another ₹5 lakh bank guarantee for failing to start treatment of over 20 lakh ton of legacy waste at the main dump site. Another bank guarantee of Rs 7 lakh will be imposed for failure to upgrade sewer treatment plants to deal with the Buddha Nullah pollution. NGT Monitoring Committee member Balbir Singh Seechewal said, “Now, bank guarantees have been imposed on the civic body and a report on its failure would be submitted before the NGT.”