Ludhiana, Nov. 16 -- Open spaces in the city's railway colonies have turned into garbage dumps after the contractor responsible for waste management left the contract midway, leaving residents without a proper disposal system.

Assistant chief medical superintendent Dr Chetna Kapoor said the contractor, who took up the two-year job in August 2024, informed authorities on November 1 that he would not continue till August 2026. "The contractor had been irregular delivering duties and was penalised multiple times earlier," she added, without specifying the penalties.

Ajay Sharma, president (loco branch), Northern Railwaymen's Union (NRMU) said with no waste management in place, the residents were left with no choice but to dump their daily ...