Amritsar's Landfills Swell Amidst Waste Management Woes

Amritsar's Municipal Corporation is facing significant challenges in managing the city's waste, admitting to dumping 220-260 metric tonnes of fresh waste daily at landfills. This occurs despite the civic body's assertions of an overhauled waste-management system. In an affidavit filed before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on September 3, the corporation detailed its ongoing efforts and acknowledged a previous disruption last year.

The MC is implementing measures to bolster waste collection, transportation, processing, and disposal. Plans include a 450-MT per day material recovery facility, a 300-MT per day bio-CNG plant, and a 750-MT per day integrated waste-sorting facility. These initiatives aim to process the substantial daily influx of dry and wet waste. The civic body also reported progress in bio-remediating legacy waste at the Bhagtanwala dumping site, with over 7,99,838 MT treated by July 6, 2026.

Furthermore, the Amritsar MC is under separate NGT scrutiny regarding the Chabhal Road dumping site, where approximately 1.5 lakh MT of uncleared legacy waste remains. The Punjab Pollution Control Board flagged inadequate machinery for bio-remediation and drainage issues, leading to repeated penalties since 2020, including an ₹8-crore environmental compensation. The MC is enhancing enforcement against littering and open burning, with 2,298 challans issued to defaulters.