The Punjab and Haryana high court (HC) has asked the Mohali administration to take steps to establish a solid waste management plant and ensure door-to-door garbage collection and its segregation.

“This petition was filed in 2006 and even after 20 years, the requisite plant for solid waste management has not been established. The state is already in grave default and therefore every day available with the state must be utilised effectively to operationalise the purpose for which the land has been made available to it,” the bench of chief justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and justice Rohit Kapoor said while dealing with a request from Punjab to give it a month’s time to take a decision regarding the operationalisation of a plant for solid waste management.

The court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) pending since 2006, in which a Mohali residents welfare society, PSIEC Housing, had approached the HC alleging non-treatment, and ineffective treatment of solid waste by the authorities, which had led to stench engulfing Industrial Area Phase-8B and its surroundings.

The case was disposed of in 2012 after authorities promised to take requisite steps. As nothing changed on ground, the residents approached the HC again in 2019 for revival of the plea. Since then, the court has been monitoring various steps taken by the authorities, said senior advocate, SS Rangi.

Steps taken so far

The Punjab government had apprised the court of various steps being taken for establishment of the solid waste management plant. “It has been stated that in-principle approval has been granted by the department concerned and the matter is now pending before the finance department. Prayer is made to adjourn this matter for four weeks within which further processing would be undertaken,” the HC bench recorded, adding that the request is accepted but with a clear understanding that this period of one month would be effectively utilised by the state for taking necessary steps to establish the plant.

The court was also informed that a boundary wall has been constructed at the site, a gate set up to avoid illegal dumping while six closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras have been installed for monitoring of the same. An effluent treatment plant (ETP) plant has also been installed at the site for treatment of leachate. Besides this, to avoid any fire mishaps, firefighting equipment has been provided at the spot, the commissioner said.

“The state shall also clarify, by way of an affidavit to be filed by a responsible functionary, as to how it proposes to deal with door-to-door collection of garbage, its segregation, and other related aspects,” the HC bench said deferring hearing for October 27.

According to details given by the Mohali MC, within corporation limits alone, there are 40,289 households, generating a daily waste of 100 metric tonnes (MT), including 40 MT of wet waste and 60 MT of mixed waste.

The details of councils – Kharar, Zirakpur, Derabassi and Nayagaon, are not included in it.

“The government has admitted before the court that the Master Plan of Mohali did not have provision for a solid waste management site. They have acquired 50 acres of land in Samgauli, including a 39-acre walled area. But are dilly-dallying in making it operational. That is why you see, waste strewn here and there in most parts of the district,” said Rangi.