New Delhi, Feb 23 (IANS): The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has approved proposals worth Rs 28.5 crores submitted by the Chandigarh Administration for remediating 7.7 lakh MT of waste in Daddumajra dumpsite.

As per the Ut administration, the initiative is expected to give the residents of Chandigarh respite from diseases and the foul smell of garbage and will ensure that the city is on its way to remediate its waste and become 5-Star garbage free soon.

Chandigarh has been certified as 1-Star garbage free in the recently-concluded Star Rating Assessment for garbage-free cities in 2021, under the aegis of Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0.

It was also recognised for its commitment to transform ‘manhole to machine hole' by winning the ‘Best Performing UT' in SafaiMitra Suraksha Challenge 2021.

For decades, the city's waste would travel to the Daddumajra dumpsite which is now estimated to hold around 7.7 lakh MT of legacy waste.

As part of Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0, the UT has pledged to achieve ‘Lakshya Zero Dumpsites' within the Mission period and has undertaken the challenge of remediating the 7.7 lakh MT of legacy waste lying across 8 acres of land as part of the Daddumajra dumpsite.

The land captured by Chandigarh's largest and only dumpsite is valued at around Rs 80 crore and efforts are now underway to completely remediate the dumpsite and provide a healthier future to the residents of the city.