Punjab government gets legal notice over delay in Samgauli waste project

The Punjab government and departments concerned have been served a legal notice over the prolonged delay in making the proposed solid waste management facility at Samgauli operational, bringing renewed attention to Mohali's long-running struggle to find a permanent solution to its mounting garbage problem.

Former Mohali Municipal Corporation deputy mayor Kuljit Singh Bedi has issued the notice seeking time-bound action on the project, for which around 50 acres of land at Samgauli village in Dera Bassi tehsil was earmarked more than a decade ago. The notice was served through advocates Ranjivan Singh, Risham Rag Singh and Kanika Toor and raises questions over why the facility has remained non-functional despite years of planning, administrative commitments and interventions by environmental and judicial authorities.

The Samgauli project has repeatedly been projected as a long-term solution for processing municipal waste generated in Mohali and surrounding urban areas.

Project stuck for over a decade

The land at Samgauli was originally earmarked for a solid waste management facility years ago, but development of the site has faced repeated delays.

The Greater Mohali Area Development Authority had allotted the site for waste management, but the municipal corporation had previously raised concerns about its distance from Mohali and the financial burden involved in transporting garbage there.

The site is around 35 km from the civic body's operational area. The MC had earlier argued that moving waste over such a distance would impose significant recurring transportation costs and sought a more feasible alternative.

Infrastructure deficiencies have also complicated the project. In previous assessments, officials pointed to the absence of an adequate approach road and essential services required to operate a large waste-processing facility.

Despite those difficulties, authorities subsequently decided to proceed with the Samgauli plan, with proposals to develop an environment-friendly processing facility serving Mohali and neighbouring areas.

Phase 8-B waste problem persists

The delay assumes significance because Mohali has faced years of litigation and environmental concerns surrounding its Phase 8-B dumping site.

Residents and industries in the area have repeatedly complained about accumulated garbage, foul smell and possible health and environmental consequences.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court and the National Green Tribunal have intervened on different occasions over the city's handling of municipal solid waste. The NGT had also imposed an environmental compensation of Rs 29 lakh on the civic body for non-compliance with Solid Waste Management Rules during an earlier period.

Authorities eventually stopped fresh dumping at Phase 8-B and began bioremediation of the accumulated legacy waste.

The civic body had informed the High Court that several lakh tonnes of legacy waste had accumulated at the site and that machinery had been deployed to clear it.

The absence of a permanent processing facility, however, has continued to complicate Mohali's waste-management arrangements.

Samgauli planned as regional facility

The proposed Samgauli facility is expected to cater not only to Mohali but also to waste generated by Zirakpur, Dera Bassi and Lalru.

Plans announced earlier envisaged construction of an approach road before garbage could be transported to the site, followed by development of an environment-friendly processing plant.

Authorities have maintained that the proposed facility would use modern technology and process waste rather than simply operate as another dumping ground.

This distinction is important under solid waste management norms, which emphasise segregation, processing and scientific disposal instead of accumulation of untreated municipal waste.

The legal notice now seeks a clear timeline for converting those plans into an operational facility.

Notice seeks accountability

Bedi has argued that continued delay has left residents bearing the consequences of inadequate waste-management infrastructure despite the availability of land for a permanent project.

The notice calls upon the state government and responsible agencies to take coordinated action and remove administrative and infrastructure bottlenecks preventing the project from becoming functional.

The issue could move into further legal proceedings if authorities fail to respond or provide a satisfactory plan within the stipulated period.

After more than a decade of proposals, litigation and shifting timelines, the latest legal intervention has again placed the focus on whether Punjab authorities can finally turn the Samgauli site into the regional waste-processing facility originally envisaged for Mohali and its adjoining towns.