Chandigarh MC directs collectors to pick up garbage from upper floors without extra charges

For the first time, the Municipal Corporation (MC) has made it mandatory for door-to-door waste collectors to pick up garbage from the upper floors of houses without charging any extra money. The move is among many provisions introduced by the civic body to streamline collection.

The new memorandum of understanding (MOU) to be signed between the MC and garbage collectors has been approved by the General House.

Currently, garbage collectors collect waste only from the ground floor, forcing residents of higher floors to bring it to them.

Under the MOU, however, it has been proposed that garbage be collected from every floor of residential buildings. If a collector is not picking up waste from a house assigned to them, they will be fined Rs 500. In case they fail to collect waste from upper floors, the fine is Rs 100 and if they are found asking for money, the fined is Rs 500.

Biometric attendance

also made compulsory

To ensure compliance, biometric attendance has also made compulsory for them. Various amounts of penalty have also been proposed to be imposed on the collectors in case they violate the terms and conditions.

Notably, residents living on the upper floors, especially the elderly, have been demanding an arrangement for the collection of waste from the upper floors for a long time now.

The new MoU enumerates duties for the collectors. They would be required to work from 7 am to 2 pm six days a week and could take the help of an additional worker only if servicing more than 300 households.

Collectors will also have to nominate a substitute to take over duties in case of illness.

They shall adhere to the area plan notified by the competent authority and collect segregated waste from every residential/dwelling unit i.e. dry waste, wet waste, sanitary waste, domestic hazardous waste and plastic waste or any other required separately.

The MoU also requires them to participate in IEC activities organised by the civic body to promote waste segregation and public awareness.

The collectors shall also intimate the area Sanitary Inspector about each residential/dwelling unit not segregating waste to facilitate action. They shall not segregate, dump or store garbage in any open area or at the SSK Center. Non-compliance shall attract an MC notice.

In the event of repeated non-compliance, up to five instances, the MC shall reserve the right to terminate the MoU of the collector without assigning any reason.

The collector must also maintain courteous and respectful behaviour when interacting with residents from whom waste is collected as well as the MC staff.

The civic body has also proposed several welfare measures for the sanitation workers, which include uniforms, timely salaries, insurance and annual health checkups. In case of persistent complaints against a specific helper of waste collector or prolonged absence of helper, concerned waste collector shall replace that helper with the intimation to authority.