Tenders floated by the Amritsar Municipal Corporation for the second phase of bio-mining and bioremediation are currently under technical evaluation. Officials are hopeful that once the contracts are awarded, the remaining waste at all three dump sites will be cleared within the next six months.
The project covers the city’s three major dumping grounds — Bhagtanwala, Jhabal Road and Narayangarh. Under the proposed plan, around 3.67 lakh metric tonnes of waste remaining after bioremediation at the Bhagtanwala dump, 1.37 lakh metric tonnes at Jhabal Road and 57,000 metric tonnes at Narayangarh will be scientifically processed and disposed of.
The Bhagtanwala dump, considered one of the city’s biggest environmental challenges, originally contained nearly 14.67 lakh metric tonnes of accumulated waste. Of this, a tender had earlier been awarded for processing 11 lakh metric tonnes. The bioremediation work began in October last year and the executing agency has already processed nearly seven lakh metric tonnes of waste.
Officials have set a target of October this year for clearing the entire 11 lakh metric tonnes of waste covered under the first phase. With the fresh tenders now under evaluation, authorities expect the remaining legacy waste at all three sites to be eliminated within six months.
The Jhabal Road dumping site became a major point of controversy last year. Garbage dumping at the site was stopped in November following strong protests by local residents and social organisations. The site had initially been used as a temporary dumping ground when access to the Bhagtanwala dump became difficult due to poor road conditions.
However, public opposition forced the municipal corporation to discontinue dumping activities there.
Despite the progress in clearing legacy waste, concerns remain over the disposal of fresh garbage generated daily in the city. Around 700 metric tonnes of municipal waste is produced every day and in the absence of a dedicated processing facility, it continues to be transported to the Bhagtanwala dump.
The company entrusted with door-to-door waste collection and processing is yet to receive land for establishing a processing centre. As per the contract conditions, the company was required to set up a processing facility within six months and scientifically process the city’s fresh waste. The delay has resulted in new garbage accumulating at Bhagtanwala even as efforts continue to remove the old waste mountain.
Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party’s Amritsar urban district president Prabhbir Singh Brar said the work at Bhagtanwala is a major achievement of the Punjab Government. He stated that nearly seven lakh metric tonnes of waste has already been scientifically processed, accounting for almost half of the total garbage accumulated at the site.
Brar said the achievement reflects the government’s commitment to fulfilling its promises and addressing long-pending civic issues. He added that around 4,000 metric tonnes of waste are currently being processed daily and that the capacity will soon be increased to 5,000 metric tonnes per day. The enhanced capacity, he said, would accelerate the disposal of the remaining waste and help provide a permanent solution to one of Amritsar’s biggest environmental concerns.
