Chandigarh, May 9 -- City mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla on Thursday visited Dadumajra dumping ground with a team of Chandigarh municipal corporation (MC) officials for inspection and sought a detailed report on the non-operational mist machines installed to control odour and airborne pollutants. The mayor instructed the concerned officers to submit a detailed report on the non-operational mist machines installed to control odour and airborne pollutants. "These machines must be functional. I want a report submitted immediately explaining why they are not in use," the mayor said. Babla also assessed the ongoing progress in waste management and legacy bio-mining efforts. Councillor Manoj Kumar (chairman of MC's sanitation committee), other councillors, joint commissioner Himanshu Gupta and other senior officials were present. The visit came after senior officials of the MC found irregularities in the waste processing machines. During the visit, the joint commissioner and concerned engineers briefed the mayor on the current status of waste segregation, emphasising the handling of wet and dry waste and the measures being taken to reduce environmental hazards. Special emphasis was laid on the management of horticulture waste and initiatives to process organic material into bio-soil for agricultural and landscaping use. The mayor also reviewed the landscaping and beautification plans for the dumping site. She inquired about the TT water connection at the dumping ground and directed concerned engineers to submit a detailed report in this regard. She directed officers to expedite the transformation of the area, calling for the plantation of Neem and other oxygen-generating trees along the boundary wall to enhance environmental quality. She also stressed the need for ornamental plants and flowering species to be planted within and around the site. "This dumping ground must not remain an eyesore. It is time we make it a model of how waste can be managed responsibly and aesthetically," the mayor asserted. She urged all departments to act swiftly and efficiently to turn the site into a cleaner and greener space. Chief secretary Rajeev Verma on Thursday reviewed the status of solid and liquid waste management compliance in the case pertaining before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in the matter "Compliance of Municipal Solid Waste Rules, 2016 and other Environmental Issues". During the meeting, chief secretary was briefed about the status of waste water generation and its treatment. Performance of all the sewage treatment plants (STPs) was reviewed and it was informed that Chandigarh has a capacity of approx 255 megalitres per day (MLD) against the generation of approx 232 MLD. MC commissioner Amit Kumar explained the steps taken by the civic body to ensure performance of the STPs to meet the norms and to check the discharge of untreated water into choes. It was informed that approx 500 TPD waste is being generated in Chandigarh, which the MC collects through door-to-door collection in specially compartmentalised vehicles, and the same is being processed by the civic body completely. Arrangements are being made to speed up the bio-remediation work and to complete the same before the monsoon. It was informed that Leachate, which is being generated in a landfill site, is being treated through two nos. of Leachate Treatment Plants (LTP). Chief secretary directed that all the works should be completed as per the timeline given to NGT and concerned departments should ensure that no untreated waste water is released into choes/drains and no solid waste should be dumped anywhere in Chandigarh, including the choes, failing which action would be initiated against the concerned official. MC should ensure complete segregation of waste and in case of non-compliance fine should be imposed on defaulters. It should also be ensured thatno burning of waste shouldtake place anywhere in Chandigarh, he said....