3 months on, waste collection remains patchy in parts of Amritsar

Three months have passed since the new company, 3R, was awarded the work order to make Amritsar a garbage-free city, but several households in the city’s peripheral areas are still not receiving regular door-to-door garbage collection, causing inconvenience to residents.

Local residents alleged that while the Amritsar Municipal Corporation (MC) and the private company continue to claim that door-to-door waste collection is functioning smoothly, the service has yet to be fully implemented on the ground. Residents of several localities reported that garbage collection vehicles have not visited their areas for days, forcing them to store waste inside their homes.

In recent days, the company claimed that more than 100 mini-tippers and a few compactors had been deployed in the field. However, several areas are still being serviced using old and worn-out vehicles belonging to the previous contractor. Employees of the former company stated that around 30 old vehicles are still being used for waste lifting. These vehicles frequently break down, leading to irregular garbage collection.

In many households along the bypass road, garbage has not been collected for the past three days, resulting in foul smell. Residents said that storing wet and dry waste inside homes for several days has become increasingly difficult and unhygienic.

On the other hand, MC officials claimed that the minor issues currently being faced would be resolved soon. Mayor Jatinder Singh Bhatia urged citizens to report their grievances through the designated helpline numbers. He said that a large number of vehicles have already been deployed by the company for waste collection and assured residents that such problems would not be witnessed in the coming days.