Huge challenge ahead for MCB

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, December 13

After the National Green Tribunal (NGT) orders asking the local authorities to provide 500 metric tonne of garbage at the doorstep of the solid waste management plant located on the Mansa road, JITF Company, operating the plant, has given a notice to the Municipal Corporation, Bathinda, (MCB) stating that they would stop the door-to-door garbage collection in the city after December 31.

MCB officials are planning to ask the company to continue the work for at least six more months as at present it would not be easy for them to immediately find an alternative firm for the job. Moreover, the Swachhta Survey is also starting from January 4.

It has created trouble for the MCB, which is already reeling under economic crisis and facing problem in giving salaries to its employees.

If JITF Company stops the door-to-door collection, the MCB would have to take back the sanitation workers from the company and pay them salaries as well.

The MCB will earn garbage collection fee from residents if it does the door-to-door garbage collection on its own in future.

Even the transportation of garbage from the Ferozepur cluster to the plant is also going to be a big task.

At present, the plant is getting only 120 tonne of garbage every day from the city. To provide 500 metric tonne of garbage every day, the municipal councils of nearby towns and cities would also have to send their waste to the plant.

JITF Company had stated during a hearing to the NGT that company was facing huge loss as the MCB was paying them less tipping fee as compared to other parts of the country.

The company stated that the administration should provide 500 metric tonne garbage at their doorstep and they would process it by installing an energy plant.

The NGT agreed and passed an order and also constituted a panel, which would submit its report in the next hearing on January 16, 2018.

A JITF Company official, on condition of anonymity, said, “We have given a notice to the MCB stating that they are discontinuing the door-to-door garbage collection in the city from December 31.”

Municipal Commissioner Sanyam Aggarwal said, “We will ask the company to continue the work for at least six more months so that in the meantime, the MCB would find an alternative.”

He also stated that most probably, they would outsource the garbage collection work in the city.

JITF response in NGT hearing

• At present, the plant is getting only 120 tonnes of garbage every day from the city. To provide 500 metric tonnes of garbage every day, the municipal councils of nearby towns and cities would also have to send their waste to the plant. 
• JITF company had stated during a hearing to the NGT that the company was facing a huge loss as the MCB was paying them less tipping fee as compared to other parts of the country.
• The Municipal Commissioner said most probably, they would outsource garbage collection work in the city

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