Teams formed to keep eye on how waste is managed

Ludhiana: With the National Green Tribunal (NGT) taking a stern stance on waste management, the state government has formed teams to check the condition of waste processing in several cities, including Ludhiana.
Officials have been deputed to check plants where garbage is being dumped, besides segregation of wet and dry waste in households as well as the secondary garbage collection points where the civic body recently installed static compactors.

The NGT’s warning came after it took cognizance of the inadequate waste management arrangements in cities, leading to the appointment of officers to conduct cross-checking and ensure compliance.
The state government has instructed the Punjab Municipal Infrastructure Development Company (PMIDC) to spread awareness about the importance of proper waste management. Officers from the department have been delegated the work to investigate the current state of waste management in cities. These officers will conduct thorough checks to determine the daily waste production in each city, the extent of source segregation, and the percentage of waste segregation.
Additionally, they will inspect the daily processing of garbage, the disposal of old waste at dump sites, besides other things. The findings of these investigations will be compiled into a report and submitted to the state government. This move comes after the NGT recently summoned the Punjab government’s chief secretary, reprimanding the state for its negligence in waste management and imposed a fine of Rs 1,026 crore.
However, a municipal corporation official claimed that they were waiting for the team to come and check the garbage collection points but till evening the team had not arrived.
He said they have been requesting the residents for wet and dry segregation, but they just don’t listen. Thankfully, this is getting done at compactor sites at least, the official said.