Zero waste mandate revives hopes for Ghaggar’s rejuvenation

Panchkula: With the solid waste management rules 2026 mandating the Municipal Corporation to clean water bodies and stop ingress of solid waste, hopes have got revived among environmentalists and residents about rejuvenation of Ghaggar river as it gets free from years of unclarity about job of different departments.Zero waste mandate revives hopes for Ghaggar’s rejuvenationPanchkula: If all goes according to plan, this monsoon may not leave Ghaggar river a mess. Although the river struggles with cleanliness issues around the year, things come to a head in the monsoon. That may not be the case this year. The Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules 2026, notified by the Centre in Jan this year and effective from April 1, place a statutory responsibility on urban local bodies to prevent entry of solid waste into water bodies and ensure their regular cleaning. This has revived hopes for rejuvenation of the Ghaggar river. The new norms mandate municipal corporations to clean water bodies and stop ingress of solid waste, ending years of confusion over departmental responsibilities.The rules require civic bodies to map ingress points of solid waste in water bodies and install barriers to prevent dumping. They also make it mandatory to schedule cleaning of surface water bodies and drains to remove floating waste.Earlier, the responsibility was shared between Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP), the municipal corporation (MC), and the irrigation department. Frequent disputes over jurisdiction left garbage piles and insanitary conditions along the river. With the latest rules, accountability now rests squarely with the corporation.Despite this clarity, Panchkula MC is yet to announce a comprehensive plan. Environmentalists say the corporation is under a statutory obligation to enforce a “Zero waste to water body” policy from April 1, 2026. The stretch from Beer Ghaggar village to Sector 28 remains critically degraded due to illegal dumping of construction debris and unsegregated municipal waste.Tapasya Sharma, co‑founder of the Save River Ghaggar campaign, urged the MC to map entry points at Beer Ghaggar village and the Sector 25–28 boundary. She called for bollards and heavy‑duty fencing to block tractor‑trolleys and trucks that facilitate illegal dumping.Mohit Gupta, another co‑founder, stressed that silt and debris must be stored in covered facilities instead of being pushed into the riverbed. He demanded that the Beer Ghaggar to Sector 28 stretch be declared a high‑sensitivity no‑dumping zone. Prominent boards detailing penalty rates, digital patrolling, and public audits were also recommended.Activists emphasized that the Ghaggar is the lifeline of the Tricity. They said the SWM Rules 2026 provide the legal authority needed to move from advisory cleaning to mandatory protection.For now, however, the civic body has not made any plan public, leaving residents and campaigners waiting for concrete action.