Penalty waiver for four Chandigarh societies

Chandigarh, October 4

In a partial relief to four housing societies of southern sectors, the Municipal Corporation has waived future penalties to be included in residents’ water bills for non-compliance with the Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules, 2016.

With regard to the penalties already levied in the past few months, the corporation is going to write to the Secretary, Local Government (UT Home Secretary), to take a call. An official said the MC did not have the power to decide on the matter.

Sector 49 plant not functional yet

The city’s first decentralised garbage processing plant, which was set up at Sehaj Safai Kendra (SSK), Sector 49, in August, is yet to become operational. Sources said it was run on a trial basis by making some temporary arrangements earlier. But, the plant will become functional once power connection is granted to it.

The MC is now compiling the data of penalties already imposed and recovered through water bills so that the these details, along with a communication, can be sent to higher authorities for further course of action.

The orders were issued following a resolution passed by the MC House earlier to provide relief to the residents.

The corporation had earlier started imposing a hefty penalty on the residents of four housing societies in their respective water bills under the “sundry charges” category. “A resident, who had not paid these sundry charges for the past few months, got a notice that his water supply will be disconnected. It was shocking for us to know that,” said Ashwani Kumar, vice-president, Telehos Cooperative Society.

According to the SWM rules, all gated societies and institutions with more than 5,000 sq mt of area will have to process biodegradable waste (wet waste) within the premises as far as possible.

After the residents contended that they did not have space and technical expertise to process or manage the garbage inside their societies, the MC House had approved the setting up of a common plant at the Sehaj Safai Kendra in Sector 49 from the MPLAD funds.

However, the residents of Pushpac Enclave, Sector 49; Progressive Society, Telehose Society, Sector 50; and Kendriya Vihar Society, Sector 48, refused to operate the plant. The MC said the plant would run under the PPP (public-private partnership) mode.