Joint committee report in the matter of Ramesh Mahendru Vs State of Punjab in compliance to the National Green Tribunal order, August 4, 2023.

Ramesh Mahendru, President of Alfa Mahendru Foundation had approached the National Green Tribunal by sending a letter complaining that a huge garbage dump has been built on the PAP flyover near bypass, Jalandhar city, which was emitting foul smell.

The joint team visited the affected site located at Choughiti byepass, Jalandhar on October, 5, 2023. Police officials were deployed at the site and the waste was being removed from the site. About 150 trucks were pressed into service and around 1500 tons of solid waste had been removed till the time of visit by the Joint Committee.

The joint team visited the dump site of Municipal Corporation, Jalandhar located at Wariana, Kapurthala Road, Jalandhar on October 5, 2023. It was observed that the dump site falls within the municipal corporation limits and is established in an area of about 16.2 acres and has been in use for the past 30 years.

At the time of visit about 3 trollies and 3 dump trucks reached the site but none of them was covered. None of the vehicles was compartmentalized. No segregation of waste was being done before sending it to the dump site and no segregation was done at the dump site. No treatment of fresh waste or legacy waste was being carried out.

Considering increase in daily waste generation and accumulation of waste since 2019, the total legacy waste lying at the dump site could be to the tune of 15 lacs MT. The Kala Sanghian drain passes at around 400 mtr away from the dump site. A lot of waste was found dumped along the bank of Kala Sanghian drain adding to the pollution in the drain.