Overhaul waste disposal system, penalise offenders

Strict action against illegal dumping

Piles of garbage in Jalandhar’s streets, markets and residential colonies have become an eyesore and a health hazard. Despite repeated complaints, the problem persists due to poor waste management, lack of segregation and weak enforcement. The Municipal Corporation must act decisively—starting with regular monitoring, higher penalties for offenders, and strict action against illegal dumping. Door-to-door garbage collection should be streamlined, with proper bins and timely disposal. Moreover, awareness drives are needed to educate citizens on waste segregation and responsible handling. Community participation through RWAs and local volunteers can also ensure better upkeep. Cleanliness is not just the duty of the administration, but of every resident. A cleaner Jalandhar is possible, but only if strong civic measures are implemented and sustained.

Aarti Rana Chauhan

Implement waste management plans

Piles of garbage and waste scattered across various parts of the city present a perennial challenge, impacting public health and environmental quality. A carrot-and-stick policy can be an effective approach to address the issue by offering incentives for compliant behaviour and penalties for violators. The district administration should implement systematic municipal solid waste management plans that encompass waste collection, transportation, treatment, and disposal through the Municipal Corporation (MC). These plans can include rewards for individuals or areas that manage their waste responsibly and avoid burning garbage, such as discounts on property taxes or utility bills. Public recognition, grants, awards, or certificates could be offered to individuals or areas demonstrating significant improvements in waste management. Additionally, generating employment opportunities in the waste management sector, such as waste collectors, sorters, or recyclers, is crucial to incentivize community participation. The MC faces various challenges that hinder effective waste management, including inadequate infrastructure, financial resource shortages, insufficient institutional capacity, a lack of sweepers, and political interference. These challenges contribute to unsanitary conditions and heaps of garbage piling up in public places, parks, and streets. To address violators, it is proposed that the administration impose fines or penalties on individuals or areas that burn garbage, litter, or dump debris/garbage in parks, streets, and public places. Repeat offenders may face heavy penalties, possible legal action, and the withdrawal or suspension of essential services, including waste collection, water, or electricity supply. Publicly shaming perpetrators through media campaigns or public notices could also be employed to deter such behaviour. Moreover, there is a need to motivate residents about the importance of segregating waste at the source and using recyclable and biodegradable materials to alleviate the burden on landfills. Many landfills and garbage dumps in urban areas are over-congested, mismanaged, and located near densely populated areas, such as the one near Waryana in Jalandhar city.

(Dr) Kulwant Singh Phull

Follow set schedules for garbage collection

Municipal Corporations in all cities are in a dilemma regarding the scattered waste and piles of garbage on roads, particularly in relation to the timely lifting of solid waste. After collecting the waste from households, it is often dumped at a single location, from where it is lifted every day. If there is any delay of even a few hours, the garbage disrupts the environment with its foul smell. Moreover, when the garbage is lifted from various dumps in the cities and transported to the main dump site, it often falls on the roads, questioning the effectiveness of cleanliness drives carried out in the cities. The lifting of garbage should be a time-bound process and the Municipal Corporation should reward the individuals or teams responsible for adhering to the time-bound schedules for lifting garbage from city dumps to the main dump. Cleanliness is in the hands of the Municipal Corporation officials and they are performing their duty as a priority. However, the Municipal Corporation should also boost the morale of the individuals involved in the cleanliness drive.

Rajat Kumar Mohindru

Reuse, reduce and recycle plastic waste

Punjab, once renowned as the province of cleanliness and lush greenery, now faces a stark contrast to its former glory. Despite being home to a significant portion of the nation’s fertile farmlands, the state is increasingly plagued by heaps of garbage that can be found at nearly every corner. The general population of Punjab is significantly impacted by this situation and urgently requires a response from the administration. Many villages and cities, like Wariana and Amritsar, seem to be completely submerged in heaps of single-use plastic, fruit peels and hazardous chemicals, toxifying the environment of the surrounding areas, making residents’ lives a living hell. However, the residents themselves are responsible for these situations because, for ages, the government has tried to streamline the waste and dump management systems, but all of them have failed due to a lack of civilian cooperation and participation. It’s about time that people realise that loitering around is no longer an option and the consequences will be borne by the future generation. Severe fines should be imposed on anyone found loitering on the streets and as a penalty, they should be ordered to plant a tree for every piece of plastic waste thrown. Additionally, the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) needs to find a way to dispose of these waste hills at the waste management centres, where bio-waste can be converted into natural soil and used for farming and plantation. Non-biodegradable waste can be molded into the 4Rs: recycle, reuse, reduce, and refuse. In foreign countries, plastic bottles and packets are converted into wearable sports and casual wear. We can take inspiration from them and devise ways to create the best items from waste. The administration alone cannot bring about change unless the people make an effort. Reusing and reducing plastic are key steps to decreasing the waste produced in households. Also, refusing all kinds of single-use plastic is essential for achieving environmental sanity. All these steps, if performed simultaneously, can severely reverse the worsening situation.

Lakshit Jindal

Holistic, sustainable solution required

A scientific approach is key to solving the persistent garbage disposal crisis. The issue of garbage disposal remains a persistent challenge, as domestic waste continues to accumulate in residential areas and vacant plots along roads and streets. Despite repeated discussions across various platforms, India still lacks a comprehensive and scientific approach to waste management. While some cities have designated dumping sites for solid waste to facilitate faster disposal, the gravity of the situation is not being addressed with the seriousness it demands. Municipal bodies, which are tasked with ensuring cleanliness and waste collection from households, frequently fall short in their duties. As a result, the problem of domestic waste remains largely unresolved. Adding to the issue is the negligence of both households and sanitation workers, as waste is often not properly segregated or collected regularly. Instead, it is dumped in the open or burned, creating an unsightly environment while also contributing significantly to environmental pollution. Incidents of fires at dumping sites have also been reported, releasing toxic fumes that pose severe health risks to residents in nearby neighbourhoods. Thus, what’s urgently needed is a holistic and sustainable solution to this growing crisis. In today’s technologically advanced world, manual scavenging must be eliminated, and a scientific waste management system ought to be integrated into urban planning. Regular collection and transportation of household waste need to be ensured without interruption. Moreover, all waste disposal sites should be located far from residential areas to minimize health hazards. Equally important is enforcing strict segregation of waste at the household level for more efficient decomposition and recycling. Many components of solid waste can be reused or turned into organic manure, which is especially beneficial for sustainable farming. Clearly, discreet guidelines involving a scientific approach for a complete solution to this perennial problem must be drawn and implemented on a mission mode. To ensure compliance, stringent penalties should be imposed on both sanitation workers and residents who neglect their responsibilities. Revamping the Swachh Bharat Mission is crucial to addressing the growing issue of household garbage and the broader problem of environmental degradation in our cities.

Nirmaljit Singh Chatrath

Waste should not be left unmanaged

The scattered piles of garbage on the city roads and in the streets and their long and continuous visibility is the most irritating scenario to almost every inhabitant and must be avoided through a sustainable mechanism. The home waste collected by municipal staff must be disposed of in walled enclosures, well-built and located a little away from residential areas, from where specially designed trucks can lift the garbage for its final treatment using the latest scientific technology. Secondly, the daily waste collected by sweepers from the roads and streets must be immediately picked up by small vehicles that follow them. No mound of garbage should be left unattended and any piling of waste must not be allowed. All these vehicles should dispose of their loads into the designated enclosures. The entire daily process needs to be well-connected and systematically integrated for its successful completion without any hindrances or confusion.

Jagdish Chander

Waste Segregation holds the key

As we see the gigantic garbage hills developing here and there, the question of solving this critical complication arises in our minds. The garbage heaps turning into hills are obviously a serious threat to human health and the environment as well. A few simple remedies can help solve this grave issue.

Waste segregation should be made compulsory in every household. Fines should be imposed accordingly on those who are not throwing wet and dry waste separately into two different dustbins.

It is now the responsibility of the concerned authorities to collect and deal with the waste. Modern technology should be used to turn wet waste into organic fertilizer and to recycle the dry waste. Big industrial units should be installed initially at the district level and later expanded to small towns and cities.

Thirdly, the method of turning wet waste into compost should be widely advertised so that people can handle the wet waste by themselves and use the manure for their pots and domestic gardens. For this purpose, seminars and awareness talks can be organised in schools and colleges. The help of NGOs can be taken for this purpose.

Not leaving everything to the authorities, there should be involvement from the masses to keep the surroundings neat and clean. Coordination committees should be formed at different levels to supervise the cleanliness process in their areas.

CCTV cameras should be installed at sensitive points and actions should be taken accordingly.

Anjali Kumar

Jalandhar