The Chandigarh Municipal Corporation (MC) has spent over Rs 101 crore on removing mountains of garbage from the Dadumajra dumping ground over the last five years. The expenditure details were tabled before the general house meeting scheduled for Monday, following a request made during the April 30 general house meeting for information on bioremediation costs for legacy waste.
Breakdown of Expenditure
According to the information provided by MC officials, the payments were made to several contractors for bioremediation work at the site. M/S SMB Limited received over Rs 33.98 crore, while M/S Aakanksha Enterprises was paid over Rs 64 crore. Additionally, M/S Braithwaite Bum & Jessop Construction Limited got over Rs 2.11 crore, and M/S Hindustan Steel Works Construction Limited received over Rs 1.44 crore.
Allegations of Scam by AAP Councillors
The April 30 general house meeting saw an uproar over the uncleared garbage heaps at Dadumajra. AAP councillors, including former Mayor Kuldeep Kumar, Hardeep Singh, and Yogesh Dhingra, raised placards and demanded an inquiry into the unprocessed garbage. They alleged that over Rs 200 crore had been spent on garbage removal, calling it a huge scam. According to sources, the councillors insisted on a thorough probe into the disposal work.
Plantation Drive Planned on Cleared Land
In preparation for the monsoon season, the MC has started a major plantation drive on the cleared land. Heavy machinery has been deployed to transport soil from Patiala Ki Rao Choe to the dumping ground. More than 12,000 bamboo and other trees are planned to be planted across an 8-acre boundary, creating a green bamboo wall around the site. This green zone aims to improve air quality, reduce pollution, and enhance the living environment for nearby residents.
Residents Demand No More Dumping
Dayal Krishan, president of the Joint Action Committee, Dadumajra, stated that the MC must ensure no more garbage is dumped in the area in the future. He emphasized that this would benefit residents who have endured the stench of garbage for years. Navin Kumar, a local trader, described living in hell due to the foul smell and expressed hope for improvement.
