Chandigarh mayor seeks report on dysfunctional mist machines at Dadumajra

City mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla on Thursday visited Dadumajra dumping ground with a team of Chandigarh municipal corporation (MC) officials for inspection and sought a detailed report on the non-operational mist machines installed to control odour and airborne pollutants.

The mayor instructed the concerned officers to submit a detailed report on the non-operational mist machines installed to control odour and airborne pollutants. “These machines must be functional. I want a report submitted immediately explaining why they are not in use,” the mayor said.

Babla also assessed the ongoing progress in waste management and legacy bio-mining efforts. Councillor Manoj Kumar (chairman of MC’s sanitation committee), other councillors, joint commissioner Himanshu Gupta and other senior officials were present. The visit came after senior officials of the MC found irregularities in the waste processing machines.

During the visit, the joint commissioner and concerned engineers briefed the mayor on the current status of waste segregation, emphasising the handling of wet and dry waste and the measures being taken to reduce environmental hazards. Special emphasis was laid on the management of horticulture waste and initiatives to process organic material into bio-soil for agricultural and landscaping use.

The mayor also reviewed the landscaping and beautification plans for the dumping site. She inquired about the TT water connection at the dumping ground and directed concerned engineers to submit a detailed report in this regard. She directed officers to expedite the transformation of the area, calling for the plantation of Neem and other oxygen-generating trees along the boundary wall to enhance environmental quality. She also stressed the need for ornamental plants and flowering species to be planted within and around the site.

“This dumping ground must not remain an eyesore. It is time we make it a model of how waste can be managed responsibly and aesthetically,” the mayor asserted. She urged all departments to act swiftly and efficiently to turn the site into a cleaner and greener space.