Mohali, July 28 -- Even as Mohali grapples with a growing solid waste crisis, the much-needed Solid Waste Management Project at Samgoli in Dera Bassi remains entangled in bureaucratic red tape. Land for the project was allotted in 2012. But 13 years later, it remains hanging in balance, leaving the city choking under mounds of unprocessed garbage and denting its Swachh Survekshan score each year. Stinking heaps have become landmarks across neighbourhoods, drawing flies and stray animals, much to residents' dismay. Housing a population of 2.3 lakh, Mohali generates around 150 tonnes of waste daily. But shockingly, it still lacks a permanent mechanism for processing the garbage. After years of delay, the municipal corporation (MC) has established two waste management facilities at Shahimajra and Jagatpura. But despite sheds and machinery in place, both plants remain non-functional. Records show that in 2012, the Punjab government planned to acquire 50 acres for the Samgoli project, as a solution to Mohali's garbage woes. However, only 39 acres were acquired by the local bodies department in 2013, with the remaining 11 acres are still pending with the revenue department. A boundary wall was constructed at a cost of Rs.35 lakh, and the initial plan was for Mohali MC to build a Compressed Bio Gas (CBG) plant. When no private players showing interest, the matter was handed over to the local bodies department. The department later involved HPCL and GAIL for technical inspection, with HPCL preparing an estimate of Rs.27 crore for the CBG plant. The company also demanded road access and wrote to the tehsildar in May last year for land demarcation. A follow-up letter was sent to the department of rural development and panchayati raj in July 2024, which approved road construction at an estimated cost of Rs.29 crore. However, the project, to be implemented under the Punjab Municipal Infrastructure Development Corporation (PMIDC), has been awaiting clearance from the head office since March 2025. City mayor Amarjit Singh Sidhu said, "We have already written to the local bodies department to expedite the project. Mohali is overwhelmed by solid waste in the absence of proper processing mechanism." The mounting crisis has been reflected in national cleanliness rankings as well. In the 2024 Swachh Survekshan results, Mohali slipped to 128th place among 903 cities (with populations between 50,000 and 3 lakh), down from 82nd last year....