Slip in rankings: Panchkula residents blame poor waste collection, lack of solid waste plant

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, November 22

Panchkula’s ranking slipped to 99th position from last year’s 81st in the Swachh Survekshan 2021.

Locals have blamed inefficient door-to-door garbage collection and the absence of a solid waste management plant at Jhuriwala dumping ground as the key reasons behind the city’s decline in the cleanliness rankings.

“As private waste collectors are irregular, it results in domestic garbage dumped at empty plots or road corners,” they said. Moreover, they arbitrarily raise monthly charges for door-to-door collection.

There is no disposal and processing of around 120 tonnes of trash generated by the city daily in the absence of a solid waste management plant.

Chandigarh Tribune spoke to representatives of residential welfare associations and ward councillors to get their views on the issue.

SK Nayar, president of the Citizens’ Welfare Association, said: “MC officials have just deceived people in the name of beautification. Regarding cleanliness, nothing concrete has been done by the civic body. Everything is just on paper and ground reality is totally different.”

Bharat Hiteshi, chairman of the House Owners’ Welfare Association, Sector 10, said: “Steep fall in the cleanliness rankings has punctured the tall claims of the MC for its so-called strenuous efforts to improve overall cleanliness in the city. For so many years, residents are being given assurances of efficient door-to-door collection of garbage, but no positive results have come yet.”

BR Mehta, senior vice-president of the Sector 25 RWA, said: “The BJP came to power in Haryana as well as the local Municipal Corporation with a promise to make Panchkula a smart city. Contrary to its promise, solid waste is being dumped illegally at the Jhuriwala dumping ground in clear violation of the laid guidelines and requisite permissions.”