The residents of Trans Ghaggar sectors, threw their household garbage in front of the Municipal Corporation office, Sector 14 on Friday, to mark their agitation against the two existing dumping grounds of the civic bodies. Over a hundred people gathered to mark their frustration for living next to the Sector 23 dumping ground for around twenty years.
‘To rub more salt on their wounds, the officials created an extra dumping ground in Jhuriwala against our wishes which has caused even more trouble than before.’ said Nitesh Mittal, advocate, and resident of Sector 25.
The dumping grounds have proven problematic especially during monsoon as residents complained a lack of clean water and air, in their surroundings. ‘During rains, the waste gets mixed in the underground water and the garbage smells lingers sometimes for days. A lot ofthe garbage is swept from the mound and ends up at our doorstep, making it impossible for us to even step out of our houses.’ said Bhagwant Das Mittal, a sector 25 resident.
The residents said that they have made several petitions to the higher authorities for some action but all they received a whiff in the air. ‘They promised us six Material Recovery Facility (MRF) sites but all that remains on paper. Despite strong objections from residents and orders from the National Green Tribunal (NGT), the authorities remain blind, deaf, and dumb towards us.’ said Nitesh Mittal.
‘We all deserve to live in dignity where we have access to clean water, air, and surroundings. If the officials can ask us for taxes, then we can also fight for our rights.’ said Seema, a sector 27 resident and one of the protestors.
On the contrary, when contacted Panchkula Mayor, Kulbhushan Goyal, he denied the claims alleged by the protesting residents as he said that the area remains clean.
