Chandigarh, Sept 17: A festering garbage dump near the gurdwara and temple inside Panjab University (PU) has become a source of growing concern for residents and students, with the university and the municipal corporation (MC) locked in a dispute over waste management.
PU authorities allege that the MC is refusing to allow them to dispose of their waste at the Dadumajra dumping ground. In response, the MC has accused PU of failing to segregate its garbage and insisted that the university has its own Safai karamcharis, making the MC not responsible for its cleanliness.
The standoff has led to heaps of waste accumulating in a residential area adjoining the dumping site. “The dump has grown significantly over the past few weeks, and rains have made the conditions even worse for those who live close by,” said a resident living near the site, requesting anonymity.
MC councillor for Sectors 14 and 25, Sachin Galav, admitted the crisis stemmed from the institutional deadlock. “The MC claims that PU is an independent body with its own Safai karamcharis, so it should manage its own waste. Meanwhile, PU has remained silent, though they were exploring hiring an independent contractor from Rajpura as a stopgap. I had proposed that MC employees collect the waste and PU residents pay at the same rates as the rest of the city, but that plan has fallen through,” Galav said.
He added that PU owes the MC nearly ₹69 crore in property tax, a factor in the MC’s refusal to assist. “But this isn’t the right approach. PU is part of Chandigarh, and garbage inside the campus will affect the city’s Swachh Survekshan rankings,” Galav noted.
On the ground, Safai karamcharis reported that removal of wet waste has been stalled. “Earlier, there was a back route from where we removed wet waste, but the rains blocked it. Wet waste has not been cleared for many days. We have around eight to ten carts to collect waste, but people don’t segregate it. The MC is not interested, and we need a JCB to clear all this,” one sanitation worker said.
PU’s Horticulture Division, which oversees waste management on campus, explained that the university generates about four truckloads of garbage daily. “Recently, we are only being allowed to dump one truckload a day at Dadumajra, which caused the pile-up,” an official said.
PU vice-chancellor Renu Vig stressed the need for residents to play their part. “Wet waste and dry waste must be separated. At present, residents do not segregate it, and safai karamcharis must do it here before handing it to the MC. If residents used separate bins responsibly, the university would not face this problem,” she said. Vig assured that the ground is regularly cleaned and the dump will be cleared.
Meanwhile, MC joint commissioner Himanshu Gupta maintained that PU is accountable as a bulk waste generator. “PU is responsible for handling its own wet waste, for which they can make compost pits. Dry waste must be transported to Dadumajra, where it is processed with the city’s waste,” he said.
