Fortnight gone, mess in city stays on

Ramkrishan Upadhyay

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 25

Lifting the entire garbage generated in the city has become a major challenge for the Municipal Corporation as the strike by the door-to-door garbage collectors continued for the 15th day today.

While the MC has increased the number of tractor-trailers engaged to lift garbage, the move has cost the cash-starved civic body heavy. The MC has engaged around 80 trolleys so far.

Devinder Singh Babla, Leader of the Opposition in the House, said at a time when the MC had no money for development works, it was paying lakhs for trolleys hired for collection of garbage, which cannot be justified. He added that each trailer cost the MC Rs 3,000 a day.

Babla said the BJP-led MC failed to tackle the issue and put the extra burden on residents. He alleged that the MC failed to lift the entire garbage from the city.

Sources said only 20 to 30 per cent garbage was reaching the JP processing plant at Dadu Majra since the strike began.

Dadu Majra residents also opposed throwing of garbage at the dumping ground.

Meanwhile, Mayor Davesh Moudgil today called a review meeting in connection with the arrangements made by the MC to collect waste from households. The Mayor asked the officials concerned to remove garbage from the roadsides and parks on priority. He said a proper route plan be developed and areas of the trolley driver and waste collectors should not be changed. He said proper announcements be made during waste collection.

The Mayor asked the officials to ensure proper tractor trolleys deployed for the waste collection work in the sectors reach on time, especially early in the morning so as to facilitate office-going families in giving away the waste.

After the meeting, the Mayor and the MC Commissioner, accompanied by the chief sanitary inspectors concerned, went around the city and issued directions to clean the roadsides immediately.