Fire at Mohali garbage dump chokes residents
A major fire broke out early on Saturday at an illegal garbage dump along N-choe river near Sector 66, Mohali.
Toxic smoke engulfed Sectors 66, 82, and surrounding areas in no time. Students and scientists from prestigious institutions such as ISB and IISER werealso affected.
Sources said that though fire tenders were alerted around 1,30 am, even till afternoon the fire remained largely uncontrollable. By that time around 20 fire tenders were deployed.
Gursewak Singh, sarpanch of Mauli village, accused the civic body of failing to prevent illegal dumping and pollution.
Assistant Commissioner Ranjeev Kumar reached the site around 7.30 am along with his team and initiated efforts using JCB machines to cover the burning garbage with soil.
At 11 am, Mohali Mayor Amarjit Singh Sidhu, Senior Deputy Mayor Amrik Singh Somal, and other officials conducted a site inspection. Ward No. 24 (Sector 66) councillor Charan Singh told the Mayor that illegal dumping had been ongoing in the river for the past month.
Charan Singh said, 'We tried several times to stop it, but the gabage collectors kept dumping waste.' Jeevan Singh, a resident of Sector 66, said, 'The entire area was engulfed in smoke and we were facing difficulties to breathe. When I stepped out, all I could see was smoke.'
As residents Jagdish Kumar and Jaswinder Singh demanded an immediate halt to dumping in the riverbed, the mayor assured, 'We will ensure that no garbage is dumped here again. From today, garbage dumping will be completely banned, barbed wire will be installed, and a guard will be posted to prevent further dumping.'
Assistant Commissioner Ranjeev Kumar said, 'Garbage was scheduled to be cleared from the dump using Poklan machines, and three large truckloads have already been sent for processing. We were planning to finish clearing the site within the nexrt 2-3 days. Today's fire might have been caused by some mischievous elements. Every possible effort is being made to bring the situation under control.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Indian Express
3 loan recovery agents held for ‘illegally giving farmer's JCB to dowry death accused Shashank Hagawane'
The Pimpri Chinchwad police on Thursday arrested three loan recovery agents in connection with the offence lodged against Vaishnavi Hagawane's husband, Shashank, and mother-in-law, Lata, for allegedly cheating and threatening a farmer at gunpoint. The Hagawane family hit the headlines last month after Vaishnavi, the daughter-in-law of expelled Nationalist Congress Party leader Rajendra Hagawane, allegedly died by suicide following harassment over dowry. Shashank and Lata were arrested after Prashant Yelwande, a farmer from Nigoje village in Khed taluka of Pune district, lodged a First Information Report at the Mahalunge MIDC police station in Pimpri Chinchwad on May 29. The duo were remanded to police custody till June 6 for further investigation. The police identified the accused arrested on Thursday as Yogesh Rajendra Raskar, 25, Ganesh Potle, 30, and Vaibhav Pingle, 27, of Talegaon Dhamdhere. According to the police, Yelwande had purchased a JCB from Shashank and Lata for Rs 24 lakh in March 2022. There was a bank loan of about Rs 19 lakh on the said machine, and Yelwande paid Rs 5 lakh and took possession of it, the police added. It was allegedly decided that he should further pay Rs 50,000 per month to the Hagawanes for repaying the loan. The police said Yelwande paid Rs 6.7 lakh to Shashank and Lata, but they did not deposit the money in the bank for loan repayment. Shivaji Pawar, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Pimpri Chinchwad, said that the legal manager of the bank had not given any instructions to the recovery agency for taking away the JCB from Yelwande. 'But still, the accused Raskar, Potle and Pingle, working for the private recovery agency, illegally took the JCB from Yelwande and gave it to Shashank Hagawane around August 2024. So we have placed the three persons under arrest,' he added. According to the police, after the JCB was taken away from him, Yelwande demanded his money, around Rs 11.7 lakh, from the Hagawane family. But Shashank allegedly threatened him at gunpoint. The police had earlier arrested Shashank, Lata and others from the Hagawane family for the alleged dowry death of his wife Vaishnavi at their residence in Bhukum. Vaishnavi's father Anil Kaspate had lodged an FIR in this case at the Bavdhan police station in Pimpri Chinchwad on May 17, alleging that Vaishnavi's in-laws had been abusing her, mentally and physically, demanding Rs 2 crore to purchase a property. Kaspate also said in the FIR that there were injury marks on Vaishnavi's body, alleging that this suggested physical abuse, adding that he feared that his daughter had been murdered.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Hindustan Times
30-yr-old Delhi man injured in Rohini building collapse
New Delhi A 30-year-old man was injured after a portion of a three-storey building collapsed in Rohini Sector 7 on Wednesday. Police said a total of three persons were inside the 'old' and 'weak' building when it collapsed, and that they have not filed a case yet. According to Delhi Fire Service, the incident took place around 4pm, following which they deployed four fire tenders. DFS chief Atul Garg said, 'The fire tenders reached by 4.20pm; the station officer told us it was a commercial building and some people were trapped under the debris. We informed the police to send JCBs. NDRF was also informed.' Police said teams used a JCB and drilling machine to get through the debris and pulled out all three persons. 'One of them sustained minor injuries. He works at a shop in the building inside. He was rushed to the hospital and is stable, they said. Police said they have initiated an inquiry against the building owner for negligence.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Protest against ethanol plant turns violent in Gadwal
Hyderabad: Tension prevailed at Pedda Dhanwada of Jogulamba Gadwal district as an angry mob set a prefabricated container on fire, damaged a JCB and torched sheds in protest against the proposed ethanol factory. Hundreds of people, including women armed with sticks, marched to the area shouting slogans. However, the police used mild force to bring the situation under control. "We will not allow the factory to come up here. It will harm the environment and cause pollution," a villager said. "At night, they brought the vehicles to the site, and it became clear to us that they were going ahead with the work on the factory. There is no way we will allow it," the villager further said. Meanwhile, police officials said if the villages had concerns about the proposed ethanol factory, they should raise their objections with the authorities concerned instead of taking law and order into their hands. Residents of 14 villages have been protesting against the plan to set up an ethanol factory in the area. The villagers said they had communicated their opposition to the authorities over six months ago and were led to believe that the factory would not be established. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Switch to UnionBank Rewards Card UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo The villagers contended that the factory would pollute the Thungabhadra River and the Rajolibanda Diversion Scheme (RDS). Members of a committee formed to oppose the ethanol factory said they would intensify their protests if any further attempts were made to proceed with the factory. They claimed that the factory would contaminate their agricultural fields and land.
