Waste management firm calls it quits, panel formed to look for options

The solid waste management firm Averda has issued a notice of withdrawal of services to the Municipal Corporation. The firm hired by MC in February 2020, has been facing allegations regarding inefficiency in waste collection and bio-remediation for long. Now, the company has decided to leave the job. However, it will continue operations for the next six months until a new contract is finalised. In response to the transition, Municipal Commissioner Gulpreet Singh Aulakh has formed a seven-member committee to prepare a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the upcoming waste management tenders.

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The committee is expected to submit its report soon which will then be forwarded to the Punjab Municipal Infrastructure Development Company (PMIDC) for further action. The waste management tenders will be divided into separate contracts for collection, distribution and bio-remediation. A meeting will soon be held by the committee to finalise decisions regarding preparation for the RPF.

The new tenders will include four key aspects — sanitation and waste collection, bio-remediation, legacy waste processing and the establishment of a waste-to-energy plant. The committee, formed under the direction of the Municipal Commissioner, will be chaired by Additional MC Commissioner Surinder Singh. Other members of the committee are Dr Kiran Kumar, Dr Yogesh Arora, Superintending Engineer (Civil) Sandeep Singh, DCFA Manu Sharma, Legal Advisor Amrit Singh, and MSW Senior Assistant Manager Pankaj Upadhyay.

MC Commissioner Gulpreet Singh Aulakh said that to ensure an efficient waste management system, he has directed officials to issue separate e-tenders for door-to-door garbage collection, waste transportation, legacy waste processing, bio-remediation and the installation of a waste-to-energy plant. The designated committee will prepare the RFP by March 7. The finalised RFP will then be submitted to PMIDC for further execution.

Previously, the company Averda was responsible for door-to-door waste collection and solid waste management.

In addition to improvements in waste management, the Municipal Commissioner has also transferred several health officers as part of administrative restructuring. Dr Kiran Kumar has been assigned to the Central and East Zone, Dr Yogesh Arora to the North and South Zone, while Assistant Medical Officer Dr Rama will handle the West Zone. These changes are expected to strengthen the implementation of sanitation initiatives across different city areas.

The MC remains committed to enhancing urban cleanliness and waste management through these proactive measures.