Forest land turns into garbage dump

The Tribune , Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Correspondent : Kanchan Vasdev
Ludhiana, May 15

The green belt alongside the Ludhiana-Moga highway is fast turning into a garbage dump thanks to the marriage palaces that are dumping their waste on the area even as Forest officials continue to look the other way.

A survey by a Ludhiana Tribune team on the Jagraon highway revealed that the Forest area was in fact turning into a garbage dump as huge piles of waste were lying over it.

At several places, the waste, including plastic bags and disposable plates and other containers, were set on fire, deteriorating the environment. Thick smoke was billowing out and spreading on the highway.

Some villagers living in the vicinity of the highway said in the absence of a proper garbage dumping method by the marriage palaces, these people were leaving heaps of garbage on the forest land, meant for providing a better environment in the area.

In fact, the residents said, the marriage palaces were becoming sources of pollution. Earlier they were creating noise and air pollution by running music systems till well past midnight and crackers being burst. Now, they had found a convenient method of dumping their waste on the forest area.

‘‘If they dispose of it at a proper place, they would need transport. Now they just fill sacks of the garbage and dump it amidst the trees. Then they put it on fire. Many young trees have died in the past and many more would die if the process continues,’’ said Sukhchain Singh, a resident of Pamal village.

He added that he has been witness to this activity for the past two-three years when the marriage palaces came up. ‘‘They generate huge piles of waste everyday, especially during the marriage season. Then they conveniently throw it here. We have complained to the Forest authorities a number of times. But nobody cares. I think they are waiting for the entire belt to turn into a garbage dump before they act, ’’ added Sukhchain Singh.

He said whenever the garbage was put on fire, it became impossible for the villagers to breathe as the smell of plastic polluted their environs. The waste was thrown at night time only so that nobody could see them while doing so. It was put on fire at night time only.

‘‘During the ripe crop season, the farmers also had sleepless nights due to such fires. They fear that if a little splinter was carried by air to their fields they would be ruined,’’ said Malkiat Singh, a farmer.

 
SOURCE : The Tribune, Wednesday, May 16, 2007
 


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