New Delhi/Chandigarh, February 16
Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari today said his repeated interventions in Parliament to get the Dadu Majra garbage dump eradicated and the site bio-remediated seems to be moving forward, given the response of the Minister of State for Urban Development and Housing. Significantly, Tewari, who pursued the matter with the concerned authorities consistently besides repeatedly raising the matter in the Parliament demanding decisive action on this long-standing issue.
Giving this information to the media, Tewari, disclosed that Union Government has also approved the ‘Waste to Energy Project’ and given an approval of the Central share of the project as well.
It is pertinent to note that, on December 8, under Rule 377 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business, Tewari, had described the Dadu Majra dumpsite as a ‘persistent health hazard’ and pressed for its complete and final clearance. “My repeated interventions in Parliament to get the Dadu Majra garbage dump eradicated and the site bio-remediated seem to be moving forward, going by the response of the Minister of State for Urban Development and Housing,” Tewari stated.
A cautious Tewari further remarked that his sustained efforts on this critical issue, posing a grave danger to public health—have finally borne fruit. He added, “But yet the Union Government has underscored the responsibility of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation and the Chandigarh Administration in ensuring that the dumping site is cleared. The absolute laxity of the Corporation and Administration is glaring, as they have repeatedly provided contradictory deadlines to Parliament, Courts, and Parliamentary Standing Committees, only to then disregard their commitments and obligations.”
Asserting that Chandigarh Municipal Corporation should have gone beyond temporary measures and ensure complete clearance of the dumpsite, Tewari, had time and again, questioned the Centre about the non-functional solid waste processing plant at Dadu Majra, highlighting contradictions in official data and accusing authorities of evading direct answers. He had also flagged delays in workers’ wages, lack of alternative arrangements for waste processing and weak enforcement against the defaulting concessionaire responsible for managing the site.
It is worth mentioning that the said issue had been part of Tewari’s consistent advocacy, even during election campaigns, where he promised to resolve the garbage crisis and improve living conditions in the area. Tewari’s intervention in Parliament reflects his efforts to ensure accountability and a long-term solution to what has become one of Chandigarh’s most pressing civic problems.
The real solution lies in a Mega integrated Waste to Energy Plant for the four cities of Chandigarh, Mohali, Panchkula and New Chandigarh encompassing all the Municipal bodies that fall within the geographical boundaries of these four cities. This must be taken up by the Government of India as a Central Project.
Unfortunately, the Central Government looks at these four cities in silos and not as an integrated region, whether from the economic, connectivity, employment generation or even the Waste Management perspective. That is why these Quadra cities are not achieving their full potential, he added.
