Despite Ludhiana securing the 39th rank in last year’s Swachh Survekshan, the city continues to struggle with basic sanitation, with the municipal corporation yet to ensure regular garbage lifting at key locations. Heaps of waste remain visible along main roads and busy areas, causing inconvenience to residents and commuters.
Heaps of waste lying in a green belt area in Model Town in Ludhiana on Sunday. (Gurpreet Singh/HT)
One of the major problem spots is the Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT) land near Dugri Chowk and Dugri lights, where garbage continues to pile up despite a static compactor being installed at the site. Local residents said waste is often dumped around the compactor instead of inside it, and irregular lifting leads to garbage spreading onto the road, creating foul smell, traffic obstruction and unhygienic conditions.
Officials said Ludhiana generates around 1,100 tonnes of garbage daily, which is transported to the Tajpur Road dumping site. However, they admitted that behavioural change and monitoring remain weak, with people continuing to dump waste on open land and roadside corners instead of designated bins.
Several locations across the city, including the Model Town cremation ground road, areas near the old vegetable market, Nanak Nagar, the bus stand scooter market belt and Basti Jodhewal main road, continue to face periodic garbage dumping issues.
Residents said that ensuring daily lifting and proper supervision at compactor sites could significantly improve cleanliness and prevent garbage from spilling onto roads. They added that better monitoring by civic authorities is essential to maintain hygiene in high-traffic areas.
With the Swachh Survekshan inspection team expected to visit the city within the next two months, residents feel the municipal corporation should act swiftly. Over the past five years, Ludhiana has remained around the 39th–40th position in the rankings, largely due to gaps in daily sanitation, citizen feedback and documentation scores.
The issue was also raised by councillor Gaurav Gatti during the municipal corporation’s General House meeting on December 26 last year.
Responding to the issue, the MC commissioner said that steps were being taken to improve key parameters ahead of the next survey.