Irregular door-to-door garbage collection irks Amritsar residents

Tribune News Service

Charanjit Singh Teja

Amritsar, July 12

Residents are irked over irregular door-to-door garbage collection in the city. In most of the city area, the garbage is collected twice a week. The residents alleged that whenever they ask the workers of the private solid waste management firm about the irregular service, they claim that the vehicle is lying defunct.

The MC has been asking the residents to segregate garbage at source, but when all bins will be filled in the house how the residents will manage the segregation of garbage at home. Segregated garbage should be collected regularly otherwise it is not possible to manage two separate bins for three or four days Navjit Kaur, Verka-Vallah bypass road resident

The company workers admitted that the garbage collection vehicle visits the areas of Verka, Vallah, Sultanwind, Fatahpur, Mahal, Ghanupur, Khankot, Guru Ki Wadali and Daburji twice a week. In other city areas, the garbage is collected on either alternate days or after a gap of two days. There are only a few posh areas of the city from where the MC collects garbage regularly.

Averda, firm hired by the MC, has around 330 door-to-door garbage collection vehicles. Out of these, around 95 vehicles are lying defunct and 235 are functional. On 106 routes of the Bhgtanwala area, only 83 vehicles are functional. Similarly, in the Chheharta area, 27 vehicles are working on 35 routes.

“The Municipal Corporation has been asking the residents to segregate garbage at source, but when all bins will be filled in the house how the residents will manage the segregation of garbage at home. Segregated garbage should be collected regularly otherwise it is not possible to manage two separate bins for three or four days,” said Navjit Kaur, a resident of the Verka-Vallah bypass road.

“The firm workers make new excuses every day. Many a time they say they didn’t come as the hooter of the vehicle was not functional. In outer areas of the city, they visit once a week only,” said Amit Kumar, another resident.

Municipal Health officials claimed that in order to streamline the door-to-door garbage collection, the health wing of the MC would divide the city into 85 sectors. Each sector will be inspected by sanitary inspectors. Currently, the residents may register their complaints on toll-free number of the solid waste management company 1800-1221-4662.

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