Ludhiana: Locals, commuters irked by garbage dump near bus stand

The locals, commuters and staff employed at the bus stand have voiced concerns over the dumpsite located in close proximity to the area.
They say a strong and unpleasant smell emanates from the waste pile situated behind the bus stand and near the Punjab Roadways Transport Corporation (PRTC) workshop, making it difficult to breathe.
“This bus stand is one of the busiest in the state and thousands of visitors and over 250 buses pass through every day. The dumpsite causes problems for us. We’ve raised the issue with public representatives and the municipal corporation multiple times, but nothing has been done,” said a member of the Punjab Roadways/Punbus/PRTC contractual workers union, requesting not to be named.
A nearby shop owner said there was previously a wall near the dump site that helped contain the waste. However, after recent rains caused the wall to collapse, the garbage started to litter the surrounding areas. He said the areas hit are used by private operators for bus maintenance.
MC Zone D chief sanitary inspector Gurinder Singh said this is a secondary garbage site allocated by MC. He said the waste collected from nearby wards is dumped here.
“Every day, we remove the waste from here and transport it to the city’s main waste facility on Tajpur Road,” Singh added.
An MC official tasked with waste management at the site said that the area is experiencing a significant increase in the festive season, which is worsening the odour.