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Garbage problem spills over on all sides in Chandigarh

Hindustan Times, Chandigarh | By
Sep 20, 2018 12:58 PM IST

Two tractor trolleys were sent to each of the 26 wards with two helpers and as many cops on Wednesday.

Even as the municipal corporation on Wednesday pressed in more resources to collect waste from houses, but the efforts are falling way short of the requirement. Most residents are left in the lurch as the door-to-door collection is missing for almost a week now.

Majority of the people are forced to throw garbage on roadsides or at the nearest garbage bin, which is already spilling over, since MC’s decision to take control of waste collection at the House meeting on September 14. Earlier, the door-to-door waste collection was given to private contractors.

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Even as MC officials claimed that the situation was better on Wednesday as two tractor trolleys were sent to each of the 26 wards with two helpers and as many cops on each vehicle.

But the truth is that trolleys could not cover all the houses in localities.

Policemen accompanied garbage-collection trailers of the municipal corporation. (Karun Sharma/HT)

Former mayor Arun Sood said that people were not satisfied with the temporary arrangement because it is not possible to lift garbage from every house on daily basis in this manner. “The new waste collection system of the corporation will take three months to start. City can’t be left in the lurch till then,” he said.

Devinder Babla, councillor from Sectors 27-28, said there was total chaos on the ground. “We did not support MC for this day. They knew well that their decision would backfire as waste collectors will go on protest. They should have been well prepared for this,” he said. President of Federation of Sector Welfare Associations (FOSWAC) Baljinder Singh Bittu said the trolleys reach sectors when many families have nobody at home as most are working couple. “The MC can’t run the system like this. We want relief,” he said.

Mayor Davesh Moudgil said that the situation was at a critical point, and the system is being changed for city’s betterment. “We are trying to resolve the situation. Till then we need support of all stakeholders to overcome it,” he said.

SC councillors meet MC chief, put forth three demands

Scheduled Caste councillors met MC commissioner on behalf of waste collectors in the presence of senior members Arun Sood and Asha Jaswal and put forth three demands to bring them on board.

During the meeting, Rajesh Kumar and Bharat Kumar, who are supporting waste collectors told the MC chief that the number of waste collectors was much more than 1,447, as cited by the MC.

They said MC’s new system can’t render people jobless, and there was need of open enrollment for all waste collectors and verify the claims of those who are not registered in their records.

The councillors also wanted MC to revise the monthly remuneration to be paid to them. They said each collector earns nearly 15,000-20000 per month, while MC is offering them monthly salary as per DC rate which is not more than 12,000.

They also wanted MC to give control of waste that can be recycled to the waste collectors so that their other family members are not rendered jobless.

MC commissioner KK Yadav has reportedly agreed to consider the demands and has taken steps to open the registration process of waste collectors.

Protesters detained again

Miffed at the municipal corporation authorities, waste collectors blocked the civic body vehicles outside the dumping ground in Dadumajra for the second consective day. The police detained some of them again and they were kept at the Sector 34 police station till late evening.

Congress members boycott meet

The mayor on Wednesday called a meeting of all councillors before MC deputed two vehicles for each ward to collect waste. All four Congress councillors left the meeting in between while accusing the mayor of failing to control the situation. The Congress councillors also had a verbal spat with BJP members.

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