With 205 collection vehicles, 400 manual rickshaws, waste lifted from 73 Amritsar wards
12 wards in the city yet to be fully covered
To resolve the prolonged garbage collection crisis in the city, waste management operations have been strengthened across 73 wards under five municipal zones, claimed the firm tasked with solid waste management in Amritsar. A total of 205 garbage collection vehicles and 400 manual rickshaws have been deployed to provide relief to residents who have been facing sanitation issues for nearly one-and-a-half years.
Around 12 wards in the city are yet to be fully covered due to the non-availability of vehicles. However, five new vehicles are being added every alternate day, which is expected to bridge the gap soon. Municipal Corporation officials stated that door-to-door garbage collection in all 85 wards of the city will be done by next week.
The 3R firm has also issued a toll-free helpline number, 1800-203-5850, for residents to lodge complaints in case garbage is not lifted. Complaints can be registered daily between 9 am and 6 pm. To ensure timely redress of grievances, a control room is being set up at the Municipal Corporation office. While complaints will be officially received during working hours, company teams will remain active round-the-clock for resolving the grievances.
Of the 205 vehicles currently deployed, 125 are new vehicles of the 3R company, 25 are older vehicles of the firm, while 55 older vehicles of the earlier firm Averda have been deployed in the West Zone. To effectively cover all 85 wards, a target has been set to deploy 900 manual rickshaws.
Mayor Jatinder Singh Bhatia said that along with strengthening garbage collection, awareness campaigns are also being carried out to encourage citizens to segregate wet and dry waste and to avoid dumping garbage at public places.
“The long-pending sanitation problems of the city will be resolved soon. By January, all wards will be covered and garbage collection routes finalised. Meetings with company representatives and municipal officials will be held to address operational challenges. Public cooperation is essential to keep the holy city clean,” the Mayor said.
