Normal life was affected during the 12-hour bandh from 5am called by the residents of Chandrapur on Wednesday in protest against Guwahati Municipal Corporation’s move to shift the West Boragaon dumping site to the area.

Business establishments were shut and normal life was hit from Birkuchi to Govardhan market of the area.

A resident of Chandrapur said, “Local people had organised meetings to discuss the decision of the GMC to shift the dumping ground from near Deepor Beel to Chandrapur. We know that Deepor Beel should not be turned into a dumping ground but not at the cost of polluting our locality. We urge the GMC to hunt for an alternative site for dumping municipality waste.”

The total population of the city, including its floating population, is 15 lakh. Altogether 500 tonnes of waste are generated here.

A source in the GMC said, “The corporation has decided to shift the Boragaon dumping ground to Chandrapur following the order of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to do so. The present dumping ground of the GMC in Boragaon is posing a threat to the natural habitations at Deepor Beel on the outskirts of the city.” The residents also met Kamrup (metro) deputy commissioner Biswajit Pegu on Wednesday.

Pegu assured the residents that the government would build a solid waste management plant in Chandrapur where local people would be employed.