Dubai’s Averda to take over door-to-door waste collection in Amritsar

Charanjit Singh Teja

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Tribune News Service

Amritsar, February 27

A multinational solid waste management company, Averda, will take over Amritsar MSW Company Limited, currently working for door-to-door collection of garbage in the city since July 2016. The civic body has approved the proposal in the Municipal Corporation House meeting and the agreement to change of share holding allocation of Amritsar MSW Company Limited will be signed this week. Dubai-based Averda Waste Management firm would take over the work.

Amritsar MSW Company Limited has been reportedly facing serious financial crisis. The company’s employees have not receiving salaries regularly. At the same time, in case of non-payment of the rent of the vehicles, 12 mini trucks of the company were seized on the orders of the Calcutta High Court last month. Garbage lifting was affected due to regular strike by the company workers. The MC had imposed a penalty of Rs 60 lakh for regular suspension of work in the past.

The MC officials stated that with the change of ownership of company, the machinery will be upgraded and salary issue will end. The company is picking up about 350 metric tonnes of garbage daily from 73 wards. The corporation is paying Rs 1,350 per tonne. Currently, Amritsar MSW Company Limited has deployed around 800 workers and 250 vehicles for garbage lifting. The officials claimed that the Averda will continue with the same employees. “After the signing of the agreement, the salary of the employees will be cleared and the machinery will be upgraded”, said a MC officer. Mayor Karamjit Singh Rintu said several issues of sanitation would be addressed soon.