Delhi-based firm hired for waste management

The Local Bodies Department has awarded a contract for door-to-door garbage collection in 85 wards of the holy city to 3R Management —- a Delhi-based public limited company offering sewage and refuse disposal, sanitation and related services.

Among the participant bidders, the Delhi-based company cited the lowest bid as the Amritsar Municipal Corporation had fixed the reserve price at Rs 98.26 crore.

With a view to streamlining garbage collection and processing in the city, the MC had split the city in 44 wards and 41 wards on tender with a life span of three years. The MC can extend it for not more than eight years.

Clearance of the financial bid paved the way for work order which would avoid an ensuing crisis in waste management in the city as the existing contractor, Averda Company, has formally notified that it will cease operations after October 20.

Keeping in view the urgency of the situation, the MC also floated an alternative tender under which tractor trolleys would be deployed in all constituencies to lift garbage.

However, officials admitted that the plan may run into difficulties in narrow lanes where trolleys cannot reach, potentially stalling garbage collection in such areas.

For 44 wards, the reserve price was kept at Rs 48.87 crore and the rate of per metric tonne was reserved at Rs 1,628.83 and daily 274 tonne garbage is required to be lifted. The Delhi-based company’s bid was at Rs 48.75 crore.

For 41 wards, the reserve price was kept at Rs 49.39 crore and the rate of per metric tonne was reserved at Rs 1,605 and daily 281 tonne garbage is required to be lifted. The Delhi-based company’s bid was at Rs 48.25 crore.

Earlier, the tender was delayed many times. The tenders were originally scheduled to open on August 22 but were postponed after the contractors sought additional time to complete their documents.

Fresh tenders were floated on July 31, after earlier attempts failed to attract bidders. Initially, the MC had issued separate tenders for 41 and 44 wards. The tender for 41 wards, scheduled to open on July 16, saw no participation, while the one for 44 wards, slated for July 18, was extended by 10 days. It still received no bids when it opened on July 28. Eventually, both tenders were reissued together on July 31, but once again the process was delayed.