Tired of years of foul smells, health hazards and civic neglect, residents of Urban Estate Phase-II, Jalandhar, have taken legal action against an unauthorized garbage dump in their area. The Urban Estate Welfare Society (Regd.) has filed a petition before the Permanent Lok Adalat, seeking removal of the waste site, commonly referred to as the Jyoti Nagar Garbage Dump.
The petition, filed through Advocate J.P. Singh, invokes Section 22B of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987. Residents argue that the site was never earmarked for waste disposal in any master plan or municipal notification, yet continues to function as a dumping ground in violation of environmental and civic laws.
The society has outlined multiple risks arising from the dump. Located opposite a busy market and hospitals, the waste site spreads foul smells and contributes to the spread of infectious diseases. Its location next to a petrol pump and a 132 KV Punjab State Transmission Corporation Limited (PSTCL) sub-station, they claim, creates the risk of fire or explosion. The garbage mound has also turned into a breeding ground for mosquitoes, rodents, and stray dogs, heightening fears of outbreaks of dengue, malaria and other vector-borne diseases.
Residents further highlighted that the dump is obstructing a 60-foot-wide road, in addition to lying alarmingly close to the railway line and nearby religious places, posing both safety and public inconvenience concerns.
The petition cites the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, along with landmark judgments of the Supreme Court and the National Green Tribunal, which bar open dumping of municipal waste in residential areas. On these grounds, the residents have sought directions to immediately halt waste dumping at the site, shift garbage to a designated and scientifically managed disposal facility, and ensure that the affected area is thoroughly cleaned, fumigated, and sanitized.
The matter has been registered and scheduled for hearing soon within this week. According to the Welfare Society, residents have been raising objections since 2018 through repeated representations to the municipal authorities, but no action was taken. “We have exhausted every other channel. The Lok Adalat is now our last resort to get justice and ensure the safety of our families,” said a society representative.
The residents expressed hope that judicial intervention will finally put an end to what they describe as a persistent civic menace and restore clean and safe surroundings in Urban Estate Phase-II.
