The second meeting of the Environment Standing Committee (ESC) of Hon’ble Administrator’s Advisory Council was convened on 17.02.2026 at Paryavaran Bhawan, Sector 19-B, Chandigarh, under the chairmanship of Shri Gian Chand Gupta, Former Speaker of the Haryana Legislative Assembly.
During the meeting, detailed discussions were held on the Action Taken Reports submitted by various departments of Chandigarh Administration on the issues deliberated in the previous meeting of the Environment Standing Committee held on 04.08.2025. The Director Environment, Shri Saurabh Kumar, IFS, apprised the Committee of the current status of various waste management sectors in UT Chandigarh, including E-Waste Management, Plastic Waste Management, and Solid Waste Management.
In her remarks, Ms. Urvashi Gulati, Retd. IAS (Former Chief Secretary, Government of Haryana) emphasized that the Administration must place greater stress on public awareness and capacity-building initiatives regarding E-Waste management to ensure responsible disposal and active citizen participation.
In his address, Shri Gian Chand Gupta emphasized the need for preparing a comprehensive and time-bound action plan to address key environmental concerns, particularly E-Waste Management, utilization of tertiary treated water, effective implementation of the ban on polythene/plastic carry bags, and protection as well as enhancement of the value of green and open spaces in UT Chandigarh.
He suggested that kabariwalas (scrap dealers) may be formally registered and provided with designated spaces to streamline waste collection and recycling activities. He also recommended the installation of vending machines in markets and provision of cloth bags at subsidized rates to discourage the use of plastic carry bags.
The Chair directed the concerned departments to explore effective strategies for strengthening E-Waste and Plastic Waste Management systems and promoting the use of tertiary treated water for parks and gardens. The Committee was advised to comprehensively review all related aspects and provide technical inputs to curb the inflow and proliferation of plastic waste in UT Chandigarh.
In his concluding remarks, Shri Gupta stressed upon thecoordinated and collaborative efforts among all stakeholders to effectively address the environmental challenges facing Chandigarh.