Chandigarh, Nov. 3 -- Submitting a detailed status report to the National Green Tribunal (NGT), the Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee (CPCC) has flagged mismanagement of solid waste at the Dadumajra landfill site, following media reports earlier this year highlighting the deteriorating situation. According to the report, filed in compliance with NGT's directions, above-average rainfall during the monsoon season caused rainwater to mix with accumulated waste. During a routine inspection, CPCC officials observed lapses in waste and leachate management at the site. Leachate is a toxic liquid formed when rainwater or moisture percolates through waste in a landfill, dissolving and carrying pollutants. The report mentions that two leachate treatment plants (LTPs) are operational - one with a 100 kilolitres daily (KLD) capacity at the wet waste compost plant and another with a 26 KLD capacity at the new landfill area. Regular sampling has been conducted to assess their performance. Although treated effluent quality has improved, it still remains "on the higher side". To address the issue temporarily, the municipal corporation (MC) has been coordinating with the Common Effluent Treatment Plant in Baddi, Himachal Pradesh, for additional treatment of leachate. Following the inspection, the CPCC issued a notice to MC on July 22, 2025, regarding the mismanagement, to which the civic body responded on August 25, detailing the corrective steps taken. Subsequently, MC was directed to prevent leachate spillage and stagnation, and to repair damaged sections of the boundary wall to stop seepage into the Patiala Ki Rao choe. The CPCC report notes that MC has implemented several structural and environmental safeguards, including repairing the boundary wall, constructing channels to channelise leachate into treatment facilities, and laying new flooring around the wet waste plant to prevent stagnation. Recent water quality tests, as per CPCC findings, revealed no evidence of leachate contamination in the choe. Samples collected both upstream (from Punjab) and downstream (after flowing through Chandigarh) indicated no mixing of leachate with the watercourse. In a separate status report before the NGT, MC detailed remedial and preventive actions undertaken following incidents of overflowing leachate, contaminated runoff, and a major fire at the landfill on May 31, 2025. The fire, attributed to the spontaneous ignition of methane generated during waste decomposition, was brought under control within hours. The corporation stated that the situation had been "remedied" since July, with preventive measures introduced ahead of the monsoon. Tractor-mounted suction tankers were deployed to collect rainwater and leachate mixtures for treatment, while contractors were instructed to prevent any runoff from entering Patiala Ki Rao. Excess water was diverted to the nearest sewage treatment plant (STP). The affidavit further notes that the Dadumajra landfill spans 45 acres, of which 20 acres have already been bio-remediated and closed for dumping. A new landfill area of 16.72 acres is now being used solely for inert waste, while the remaining space accommodates waste processing plants, including a 300 tonnes per day (TPD) wet waste plant and a 100 TPD mixed waste plant that became operational in December 2024. MC also informed the NGT that the bio-mining of accumulated legacy waste, initially slated for completion by May 31, 2025, was delayed due to procedural and environmental approvals but is now expected to be completed by November 2025....