High court orders Chandigarh MC over hazards of Dadumajra dump

CHANDIGARH:  Punjab and Haryana High Court issues a notice to the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh (MCC) on Tuesday, July 20, with regard to public interest litigation (PIL) filed by petitioners of Dadumajra area, Chandigarh. The petitioners have urged a probe into the air pollution suffered by people of Dadumajra, and the health hazards they have been accustomed to.

The PIL was filled by a resident of Dadumajra area seeking help from the MCC and other concerned authorities to devise an unalterable resolution to end air pollution. Through the petition, the residents also sought directions from the High Court to MCC to follow the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, in order to reduce the volume of garbage dumped at Dadumajra.

The High Court has released an order for inquiry into the MCC’s failure and adherence to the directions of the National Green Tribunal on the management and processing of waste. Areas of Dadumajra saw a rise in cases of pneumonia in 2020 which pressed the residents further to file a petition. They pointed the wretched quality of air due to frequent fires on the mountain of garbage, that is only getting higher each day.

“An incident of fire in the dump is very harmful to the people around as they go unnoticed,” a resident informed. The fire which outbroke in the month of March 2021 covered the entire city in haze and caused respiratory issues among people in the vicinity. The petitioners further accused the Medical officer of the health of ‘failing’ to manage the waste, the fire outbreaks, and the health of the people in the area.