JEs turn watchdogs to take litterbugs to task in Chandigarh
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Chandigarh: With the National Green Tribunal (NGT) breathing down its neck, the Chandigarh administration has rolled out a no-nonsense plan to tackle illegal garbage dumping across the city.
In a decisive move, junior engineers (JEs) from both the municipal corporation (MC) and UT administration will now double up as sanitation enforcers — monitoring, identifying, and penalising offenders dumping waste in open, non-designated areas.
This crackdown follows a stern NGT review meeting on Wednesday, where the UT chief secretary expressed serious concern over the unchecked spread of garbage. The Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee (CPCC) had earlier flagged multiple hotspots of illegal dumping, prompting the administration to rope in engineering staff for frontline enforcement.
"JEs will now be the eyes and ears on the ground," said an official. "They will patrol their designated areas and slap penalties on violators as per laid-down norms." To empower them, the administration is preparing to issue special challaning powers, turning engineers into eco-sentinels.
Currently, sanitation inspectors handle this task, but limited manpower and infrastructure have hampered results. With 80-100 JEs now joining the mission, authorities expect a significant boost in enforcement and deterrence.
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The CPCC, which monitors solid and liquid waste management, acts as a watchdog and regularly reports to the NGT. Its latest findings have added urgency to the city's clean-up efforts, especially with Swachh Survekshan ratings taking a hit due to legacy waste issues.
STP in Faidan village
In another development, the MC is gearing up to set up a second sewage treatment plant (STP) in Faidan village. After awarding the tender for a 750 KLD STP, officials say the area's needs demand a second facility. "The engineering department of the MC has been asked to start the process of this second STP as soon as possible," sources said. The engineering wing of the MC recently allotted a tender for a 750 KLD capacity STP along Faidan and asked the company to complete the work in a period of six months.
With the NGT set to review Chandigarh's waste management status in Sept, the administration is racing against time to clean up its act — literally and figuratively.
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