Failure of urban governance
The protest at the Tajpur Road Dairy Complex, where operators dumped cow dung outside the gate of Municipal Corporation’s (MC) Zone-D office, highlights a deeper failure of urban governance. While dairy owners have a moral and legal responsibility to manage waste sustainably, civic authorities can’t escape accountability. If hundreds of dairy units are permitted to function within or close to city limits, the administration must ensure an organised system for waste collection, transportation and scientific disposal. Cow dung, when managed properly, can be converted into biogas, organic manure and other useful products, benefitting the environment as well as the economy. At the same time, dairy operators should be mandated to follow hygienic practices and contribute financially towards waste management infrastructure. Blaming one side alone won’t solve the issue. A coordinated partnership between civic authorities and dairy owners is essential to ensure public hygiene, environmental protection and sustainable urban management.
Novin Christopher
Need Efficient waste disposal system
The recent protest highlights failures on both sides. Civic authorities should create an efficient waste disposal and treatment system because managing large quantities of dairy waste is difficult without adequate infrastructure. At the same time, dairy operators must act responsibly and adopt sustainable practices, such as composting and storage of cow dung, instead of dumping it in the open. Dairy waste can be managed effectively through sustainable methods. Cow dung and other organic waste can be converted into compost or organic manure, which is useful for agriculture. Dairy waste can also be used in biogas plants to produce fuel and electricity, reducing environmental pollution. Proper drainage and treatment systems should be installed to manage liquid waste safely before releasing it into the environment. Civic authorities can support the efforts by providing collection systems and spreading awareness on eco-friendly waste management practices.
Suneet Kaur
Civic body needs to chalk out a plan
The Tajpur Road protest highlights a systemic failure, and not an individual irresponsibility. While the MC and dairy operators are both responsible, the primary duty lies with the former. Dairy owners, however, must comply with mandates. Dairy complexes generate large volumes of organic waste. MCs have a legal duty under the Solid Waste Management Rules to plan for such waste, especially when they have zoned or permitted a dairy cluster. If no collection, treatment or disposal system exists, authorities can’t simply expect informal or small-scale operators to solve the problem. Once a system is in place, dairy owners must use it and bear the operational costs under the “polluter pays” principle. They should also be required to store dung on their premises responsibly and face fines for open dumping. However, mandating sustainability without providing practical, affordable alternatives is unrealistic. Additionally, small dairy units operate on thin margins. The MC should create a common dung processing facility at the complex, funded via taxes and user fees.
Mohammad Saleem Farooqui
Cow dung can be a great asset
About 99 per cent of dairy waste is cow dung. It is a great asset. However, the failure of the civic bodies and other authorities means it has become a liability. To solve the problem, dairy owners, the MC and the administration have to pool efforts. The MCs need to provide space for dumping cow dung. The dairy owners should take the responsibility to dump the dung at the designated spot, and the administration needs to rope in the farmers and panchayats of nearby villages to use it as manure. They should be allowed to lift it for free, shedding revenue-oriented mentality. In present times of global crisis, efforts should be made to generate biogas from the dung, contributing to saving foreign exchange on petroleum/gas imports.
Ravinder Mittal
Buck stops with MC
The MC needs to ensure adequate infrastructure, especially when they closed the earlier disposal point without providing an alternative. The treatment plant at Tajpur Road lacks capacity to handle the sheer volume of waste being produced by the dairy units there. The MC must establish efficient solid waste management systems, including providing garbage-lifting machinery rather than expecting manual disposal. Additionally, dairy owners are responsible for the waste they produce and they need to stop dumping dung into the Buddha Nullah. The owners should adopt other methods, such as biogas projects, to manage waste. They shouldn’t resort to illegal disposal methods that cause pollution.
Sucha Singh Sagar Bullowal
MC should centralise dumping points
Dairy owners are frequently accused of flushing solid waste into narrow sewer lines, causing blockages. The authorities have initiated temporary measures, such as providing carts for waste collection and door-to-door lifting of cow dung through hired contractors, to prevent discharge into drains. A biogas plant, like the one in Haibowal, is under construction at Tajpur Dairy Complex for better waste management. The MC should centralise dumping points and increase the frequency of waste collection. The dairy owners should never dump dung into sewer lines, nullahs or on roadsides. They should coordinate with the MC or authorised contractors for daily/weekly pickup, pay nominal user charges and keep the dung ready in gunny bags at gate.
RS Sembhi
Strong, consistent action needed
The government must take stronger and more consistent action, especially in densely populated or industrial areas like Tajpur Road. Waste can create serious public health and environmental problems. Schemes under MC and national waste management programmes encourage biogas and organic waste processing, but implementation varies. Improper handling of organic waste is leading to unbearably foul smell, unhygienic conditions, flies and health risks for nearby residents. Proper treatment, cleaning and waste management measures are urgently needed.
Sahajpreet Singh
Issue explained
AS the MC is tasked with safeguarding public health and sanitation, it is imperative that it establishes infrastructure for collection and treatment of organic waste. Without such systems, the city risks environmental hazards, foul odour and contamination of water bodies. Sustainable practices, such as biogas production and composting, could turn organic waste into an asset. Mandating owners to adopt eco-friendly disposal methods will reduce the burden on civic bodies while promoting cleaner practices. The recent protests highlight a gap between policy and ground reality, where neither side has addressed the challenge. Ultimately, resolving the issue requires collaboration: Civic authorities must provide frameworks and facilities, and dairy owners need to commit to responsible management.
QUESTION for next week
As Ludhiana chases ‘smart city’ tag and cleanliness rankings, does municipal corporation’s failure to provide drinking water in Pritam Colony expose hollowness of these claims? Should the civic authorities be held accountable for endangering public health, or do residents need to take stronger collective action for their rights?
Suggestions in not more than 150 words can be sent to ludhianadesk@tribunemail.com by Thursday (May 21).
