Chandigarh, December 20: The much-awaited solid waste management policy was approved today by the General House of the Municipal Corporation amid high drama as the House allowed door-to-door garbage collectors to collect waste and monthly fee from houses as per the current practice.
Besides, the garbage collectors will also have the right to dispose of dry waste and earn money from it.
The collectors will buy e-rickshaws for the collection of garbage and dump it at centres to be set up by the MC.
The door-to-door garbage collectors were opposing the decision of the MC asking them to work under it. Due to a standoff between the garbage collectors and the MC, the solid waste management policy was not approved in the last MC House meeting.
Later, the Mayor formed a six-member committee, but it also failed to reach any conclusion. Councillors discussed the matter in detail today.
The door-to-door garbage collectors had observed a strike for over 20 days in September against the decision of the MC to take over the entire garbage collection work.
The waste collectors had stopped work after the MC decided to outsource the waste collection work. Mayor Davesh Moudgil said the MC was committed to ensuring 100 per cent segretation of waste. Meanwhile, Devinder Singh Babla, a Congress councillor, said they were always in favour of the garbage collectors, who had been working for long. Rajesh Kalia, BJP councillor, showed signed letters of residents favouring the old system.
Surnider Kangra, president of the Door-to-door Garbage Collectors Association, has welcomed the decision and said they would help make the city number one in sanitation.
How the waste will be handled
- e-rickshaws/vehicles to be purchased by door-to-door waste collectors till March 31.
- Collectors’ association to sign an MoU with the MC.
- Unattended areas of door-to-door waste collection to be handled by MC through purchase of 44 twin bin hoppers along with drivers and helpers by way of outsourcing.
- Time schedule of waste collection by private collectors to be rescheduled in consultation with the area councillor.
- Waste collectors to give segregated waste to Sehaj Safai Kendras till a transfer-cum-MRF facility station is provided.
- Commercial areas to be attended to by the MC
- MC to transport garbage from the transfer-cum-MRF station to the garbage processing plant.
- All disputes related to door-to-door waste collection and segregation of waste to be discussed and redressed by the sanitation committee of the MC.
