Mohali, Dec. 17 -- Mohali is grappling with a deepening garbage management crisis, with municipal waste being dumped unabatedly on vacant lands across the city, particularly along Airport Road, which has emerged as one of the worst affected stretches. Residents allege that in the absence of an effective waste collection and disposal mechanism, illegal dumping grounds have mushroomed, despite repeated complaints yielding little action. Neerja Sharma, a resident of TDI Mohali, said the entire Airport Road is lined with heaps of garbage and alleged that sanitation workers often burn the waste during evenings, causing dense smog and making life difficult for nearby residents. "Despite repeated complaints, the vacant plots continue to serve as dumping points for the municipal corporation (MC) and Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA)," she said. Baldev Singh, chairman of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of residents' welfare associations in Sectors 74, 90 and 91, said memorandums have been submitted to MC and GMADA seeking action against open dumping and burning of waste. He added that the JAC has also met the MC commissioner over the issue. The crisis has worsened at all 14 Resource Management Centres (RMCs) in the city, which residents say have become festering eyesores. Overflowing garbage heaps at these centres are spilling onto roads. Officials said the situation deteriorated further after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) ordered the closure of the existing dumping ground, leaving the MC without a formal site for waste disposal. Mohali generates nearly 100 metric tonnes of garbage daily, with an additional 60-70 metric tonnes coming from surrounding residential areas under GMADA, pushing the system to a breaking point. Currently, the city has two garbage processing locations-Phase 5 (Shahimajra) and Phase 11 (Jagatpura)-but both face strong opposition from nearby residents. Compounding the problem, Chandigarh International Airport Limited and the Indian Air Force have raised concerns over increased bird activity near the Jagatpura plant, citing risks to aircraft safety, and have requested the facility be shut and the garbage removed promptly. This has effectively left the city without any viable site to dump or process waste, bringing daily collection and disposal to a near standstill. GMADA chief administrator Sakshi Sawhney said, "We have written to the MC to include GMADA areas within its limits, as solid waste processing by GMADA is not proving feasible. Most of these areas have recently come under municipal limits. Payments to the corporation will be made for the same, and we hope to reach a resolution soon." MC commissioner Parminder Pal Singh said that although the areas are being included within MC limits, formal possession of land is still pending. He added that efforts are underway to expedite the proposed waste processing plant at Samgoli village, which may take at least two years to become fully operational. "In the meantime, we are exploring land from GMADA and will hold another round of talks to identify an alternate site to temporarily or permanently dump the city's garbage until the Samgoli plant becomes functional," he said....