| | | | | construction of facilities to recycle these goods, |
| Waste Management in Chandigarh | | | | which include scrap, glass metal, cans, paper, plastics, |
| The mission of the solid waste managing agencies in | | | | wood, and similar materials. |
| a city should be to protect public health and safety. | | | | Then there are green wastes and yard clippings to |
| It should provide quality municipal solid waste services | | | | manage. People with land can compost their own |
| through safe environmental programmes that are | | | | green waste, and many cities collect it separately |
| efficient and cost effective and environmentally | | | | from true garbage, so that the green waste can be |
| responsible. | | | | composted and returned to the earth. |
| In the backdrop of this, we review the solid waste | | | | We then come to Toxic waste; waste which could |
| management in Chandigarh where garbage | | | | potentially contaminate the environment, meaning |
| accumulation exceeds 400 tons each day, the | | | | that it needs to be handled with care. This category |
| situation is really pathetic. Sanjeev Singh Bariana has | | | | includes electronic waste, a growing problem in many |
| rightly pointed out that the situation shall be worse | | | | industrialized nations. Added to this is the growing |
| with surging population growth of the city, projected | | | | problem of disposing off the out of use machinery. |
| to be 19.5 lakhs by 2021. | | | | Despite the fact the Union Government has been |
| UT got its solid waste processing plant at a cost of | | | | devoted to manage the waste and has appointed |
| Rs. 30 crores that is spread over 10 acre of land in | | | | Pollution control Directorates to oversee the |
| partnership with Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh. | | | | prevention of environment, unfortunately though, |
| The project ran into acrimony right in the initial | | | | nothing tangible has been done in the direction. More |
| stages. The inaugural function was marred by | | | | needs to be done keeping the ground realities and |
| boycott by the Mayor and a few councilors stayed | | | | the magnitude of the increasing volume of waste |
| away from the event. | | | | being generated in the City. |
| Chandigarh has grown and with its growth the | | | | Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh has miserably |
| accumulation of garbage has also grown. The city | | | | failed in this field as the first in Country Waste |
| now generates waste of each kind which poses | | | | Processing plant has run in to rough weather. Its |
| pollution hazards and MCC is required to plan its | | | | relocation at another site is not feasible as the |
| disposal in a manner that causes no detrimental | | | | available land has already shrunk to minimal. Our only |
| effect on its residents. The garbage processing plant | | | | option is to ensure up gradation of the plant to make |
| emanates foul smell and stench that is unbearable in a | | | | it work optimally to it fullest capacity. Steps also |
| radius of about eight kms. Complaints have been | | | | need to be taken that the plant does not emit gases |
| getting louder with none attempting to salvage the | | | | or emanates the stench putting residents in vicinity |
| problems so far. | | | | as high discomfort levels. |
| Our member Parliament’s vision to make the | | | | Also need is to ensure that the waste collection |
| City ‘bin free’ by setting up of Sehaj Safai | | | | agencies for solid waste garbage collection are |
| Kendras in the city seems lost in the official | | | | modernized and provided covered Rehris. And the |
| rigmarole. And the cash surplus MCC has failed to | | | | waste collected by them is mechanically segregated |
| put Sehaj Safai Kendras in the entire City causing | | | | in different colored bags in the Sehaj Safai Kendras. |
| waste to be collected from the residences in rehris | | | | Waste collected from meat shops and laughter |
| that is chaotic and unscientific. Such collected garbage | | | | houses is disposed judicially. |
| is dumped in bins and remains scattered around | | | | For medical and biomedical waste, arrangement for |
| causing emission of stench ground level pollution and | | | | incinerators that work properly be made in hospitals, |
| causes discomfort to the residents. | | | | and its provision in clinics and centers generating this |
| Chairman of the sanitation committee of Chandigarh, | | | | kind of waste be made mandatory. Medical waste |
| is on record having said. “During our inspection, | | | | disposal systems provide waste disposal that include |
| we found that things were not in order at the plant. | | | | tracing of product, destruction of medical waste, |
| They are not following the guidelines, as there is a | | | | reporting and verification of destruction of sharps and |
| complete ban on the burning of garbage in | | | | other medical waste. |
| Chandigarh, but workers were burning it.” In this | | | | The city is growing and shall continue to grow, so |
| backdrop, guidelines for proper functioning of the | | | | let’s stop lamenting that the city was originally |
| plant need to be implemented and these are | | | | designed for only five lakhs population and let those |
| implemented on priority. | | | | in governance seek to implement “mission |
| Our task now relates to Solid Waste Management | | | | mode” to provide the residents a protected |
| including Toxic and Hazardous Waste and also | | | | public health with safety |
| Biomedical Waste in Chandigarh. We have to deal | | | | Satish Chandra Sharma |
| with a number of types of solid waste. The first is | | | | 1605, Progressive Enclave, Sector 50 |
| recyclable waste, objects which are useful, but no | | | | Cell: 9888255128. |
| longer wanted. Solid waste management includes the | | | | |