Residents of Phase 2 in Dugri are struggling with an unauthorised garbage dump that has come up on an empty plot behind a private school. The plot has gradually turned into a dumping ground over the past few years, posing health and hygiene concerns for residents and schoolchildren in the vicinity.
“The garbage produces a stench that permeates throughout the area and crosses into the school, especially when it rains. Local residents are facing a similar ordeal. “The situation worsens during the monsoon as the stench becomes unbearable. “It is not our responsibility now. However, he assured that he would direct GLADA officials to look into the matter and coordinate efforts to clear the accumulated garbage in the interest of public health and local convenience.
A school official, speaking anonymously, said the unauthorised dump has been a major source of distress due to continuous foul odors and mosquito breeding near the campus.
This also raises severe concerns regarding vector-borne diseases,” the official said, adding that the dump, which shares its boundary with the school premises, caught fire during the summer months. “We called the fire safety department and rushed in our workers to control the blaze as it is right on our boundary,” the official said, adding that while authorities cleared the site following previous complaints, garbage began piling up again rapidly. Jaswinder Singh Shammi, who lives opposite the vacant plot, said that despite investing a large amount to live in an upmarket locality, families are forced to endure unbearable stench and swarms of mosquitoes. If we open the windows for fresh air, the stench comes right in,” he said. Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA) chief administrator Vikas Hira said the plot has already been allotted to an individual and is private property. If we enter the plot, that will be considered trespassing,” Hira said.
