Mohali, May 24 -- Once marketed as Punjab's modern urban success story, Mohali today faces a sanitation crisis that has become its most visible civic failure. Overflowing collection points, roadside waste heaps, choked drains, and foul stenches have transformed cleanliness into a major municipal election issue ahead of the May 26 polls.

The crisis peaked after the closure of the city's traditional dumping setups without operational alternatives. Generating 100 to 170 metric tonnes of waste daily from local and peripheral belts, Mohali's disposal system failed to keep pace with rapid urban expansion. Matters worsened significantly after the Phase 8-B Industrial Area dumping ground was shut down last year following court and environmental ...