Residents Welfare Society of PSIEC Mohali Demands Shifting of Dumping Yard Mohali to Dera Bassi

By 121 News

Chandigarh 30^th September:- The Residents Welfare Society (RWS) of Punjab Small Industries & Export Corporation (PSIEC) Housing Complex, Mohali today reiterated its demand of shifting the dimping ground from Sector 74 industrial area to village Samgauli, near Dera Bassi, as was assured earlier by the state government. The dumping ground is causing trouble to the people of residential as well as industrial area, because the foul smell, moscutoes, flies and the hazardous waste materials pose a serious danger to the health of the residents and the employees alike.   

Addressing a press conference at Sector 74, Sardar Baldev Singh, former president, RWS said that we had raised the issue in the court on 19 April, 2006. We continued pursuing the matter with political leaders of the area, district officials and legal experts, but to no avail. The dumping ground is still located in the centre of SAS Nagar. Our legal counsel Satwant Singh Rangi has been looking after the matter since then.

Appearing for the petitioner Satwant Singh Rangi, Advocate submitted before the Punjab & Haryana High Court, Division Bench of Justice Daya Chaudhary and Justice Sudhir Mittal, that 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 present 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, Tele performance 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.

Dumping ground has become a health hazard, because it is polluting the air, breeding rodents, flies and mosquitoes along with foul smell for thousands of employees working in the IT companies in nearby buildings, it has also become a safety concern for the young employees, who have to walk till the local transport point. Speeding tractor trolleys and trucks used to dump garbage ploy on the main road connecting these buildings, often cause safety concern for the people walking on the road. In spite of previous orders by Punjab & Haryana High Court and National Green Tribunal, officials have failed to act upon it.

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. The Division Bench of High Court has now posted the matter for 29^th October, 2019 awaiting the reply of the State Govt.