Chandigarh swachh survey: 100% in remediation but 1.4 lakh MT waste at Dadumajra yet to be cleared
According to the municipal corporation’s (MCs) own figures, nearly 1.40 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of legacy waste continues to lie unprocessed at the Dadumajra site, casting serious doubts on the validity of the scores awarded under the Union housing and urban affairs ministry’s cleanliness survey
UT may have bagged the second spot in the Swachh Survekshan 2024-25 rankings among cities with a population between 3 to 10 lakh, but the on-ground situation paints a different picture. While the city was awarded a perfect 100% score in critical parameters such as waste processing and dumpsite remediation, the reality at the Dadumajra dumping ground tells a tale of glaring gaps.
According to the municipal corporation’s (MCs) own figures, nearly 1.40 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of legacy waste continues to lie unprocessed at the Dadumajra site, casting serious doubts on the validity of the scores awarded under the Union housing and urban affairs ministry’s cleanliness survey.
The civic body had previously claimed that the entire dumpsite would be cleared by July 31 this year, but given the current pace of bio-mining—described by officials themselves as “unsatisfactory”— this deadline is likely to be missed again. Three firms were tasked with the remediation of the dumpsite, but their performance has remained sluggish, with the MC recently issuing show-cause notices and even penalties to push for compliance.
Even in terms of daily waste management, the MC struggles to keep up. Chandigarh generates nearly 500 tonnes of waste every day, of which around 300 tonnes is wet waste, including horticultural waste, while the remaining comprises dry waste. Though door-to-door collection in four categories—wet, dry, sanitary, and domestic hazardous waste—has reached 100% coverage, the processing capacity still falls short. The civic body currently processes about 430 tonnes per day (TPD), leaving a deficit of nearly 70 TPD. The newly commissioned mixed waste segregation plant has helped bridge this gap partially, but officials admit that full processing remains a challenge due to infrastructural limitations, weather conditions, and the absence of an integrated waste management system.
Moreover, the city’s handling of horticulture waste is another weak link. Despite having composting pits in 104 parks, the city manages to process only 32 TPD of mixed horticultural waste. A dedicated plant in Industrial Area Phase 2 processes about 12 TPD of pruned waste like branches and stems, but that too runs at full capacity. During peak seasons, especially autumn, the volume of horticulture waste surges to 50-80 TPD, far exceeding the city’s processing capacity. The result is heaps of leaves and green waste scattered along roads, choking stormwater drains and creating an eyesore that contrasts sharply with the city’s “cleanest” image.
On the other hand, though Chandigarh got just 14% in waste segregation at source category, MC claims that over 85% to 90% of the houses in the city segregate its waste properly.
‘2nd rank is not a data error but an institutional gaslighting’
Amit Sharma, a petitioner advocate of the long-standing Dadumajra garbage dump case, said, “The rankings are completely divorced from reality. First, over 2 lakh metric tonnes of legacy waste still rots in the open at Dadumajra. Second, while the towering mounds have reduced under High Court’s pressure, 46 acres remain enclosed by a 20-foot wall of decaying waste, and the site continues to release leachate. The mountain may be gone, but the crisis is not. More recently, Kajheri and Sector 49-C have become unregulated garbage pits. Open spaces outside EWS colonies are choked with filth dug in open spaces and covered with mud, and residents are suffering just as much. This rank is not a data error but an institutional gaslighting. Our citizens deserve clean air, not clean certificates.”
Vinod Vashisht, convener, City Forum of Residents Welfare Organisations (CFORWO), said that Chandigarh has again failed itself to upgrade to 5-star or 7-star Garbage Free Cities (GFC) Star rankings. “On the top of this, based upon the citizens’ feedback and field assessments, the city has failed to get 100% door to door waste collection and it has mere 14% waste segregation at source. Chandigarh has been awarded as a Swachh Super League City of India under 3 lakh-10 lakh population category whereas the official website of Chandigarh administration shows city population at 10.55 lakh as per 2011 census. It is an unfair self-adulation.”
The Chandigarh Congress unit president HS lucky also said, “While I congratulate the mayor, councillors, officers, and staff of the MC, I must also highlight the ground reality — broken roads, the failure of the 24×7 water supply project, and a severe shortage of funds in the MC have brought the city’s development to a standstill. The heaps of garbage at the dumping ground reflect the true state of affairs.”
