Litterbugs turn Mohali vacant lands into garbage plots

MOHALI: Marred by pervasive, extensive, and petite refuse heaps, the Mohali municipal corporation has descended into a state of disarray concerning sanitation. The garbage spots have come up across the MC limits. The district too is afflicted by long-standing, colossal garbage accumulations. Kharar, Balongi, Zirakpur, Baltana, Lohgarh, Nayagaon, Kurali, and Jagatpura are beset by entrenched refuse mounds that have remained unattended for decades.
H K Aggarwal (88), a denizen of Phase 2 (Sector 54) Mohali, said sanitation falls under the purview of MC Mohali.However, this issue persists as a perennial concern for residents who must repeatedly implore their respective councillor, sanitation inspector, or safai karamcharies supervisor for redressal, often requiring days or weeks to elicit a favorable response.
He said substantial heaps are visible on the Sector 54 footpath along the road stretching from a hotel to Dipplast Chowk, behind house numbers 555 and 542, opposite kothi numbers 655, 656, and 611, at the entrance of Mori gates, B Road, within C streets 543-555, 570, 479, 434, parks, and various other locations.
A recent survey conducted by the Mohali municipal corporation, prompted by its lackluster performance in the Swachh Survekshan, concluded that residents’ failure to opt for door-to-door garbage collection and their propensity to dispose of household waste at garbage vulnerable points are the root causes of the problem. The MC contends that these GVPs are the handiwork of irresponsible residents who may face penalties for their actions.
MC commissioner Navjot Kaur said a recent meeting with garbage collectors and their contractors resulted in directives to record the house numbers of residents who neither opt for door-to-door garbage collection nor pay for the service.
MC Commissioner Navjot Kaur stated, "These DVPs are the primary reason for our poor ranking in the Swachh Survekshan. We have discovered that many residents are major contributors to the existence of such DVPs due to their refusal to participate in the door-to-door garbage collection process. We have instructed the garbage collectors to compile a list of houses that do not opt for door-to-door garbage collection and instead dump their waste at DVPs. We will first sensitize these residents, and if they persist in dumping garbage at DVPs, we will issue notices and subsequently impose penalties."
Residents concur that Mohali city is exceedingly unclean, with large and small garbage dumps visible on every road. The MC emphasizes that to transform Mohali into a garbage-free city, residents' support is imperative, and they must refrain from dumping waste at DVPs.