Replete with flaws, garbage collection needs a relook

OPEN HOUSE: WHAT STEPS NEED TO BE TAKEN TO IMPROVE COLLECTION OF WASTE IN UT

Residents should welcome MC’s move

The Municipal Corporation (MC) has made a progressive move by introducing collection of segregated waste in vehicles. Informed and educated residents should not only welcome this step, but also support it more so as waste is collected from inside homes and residents do not need to empty their bins. This system is more institutional, hygienic, humane, economical and sustainable. Residents should segregate waste at source, discourage old collectors and also not give tip to any MC worker. The MC on its part should be punctual, collect waste from all floors and provide same level of comfort as before.

Col PS Gill (retd), Chandigarh

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Effective & efficient planning needed

Waste segregation drive can help the city fulfil the Swachh Bharat mission. However, the plan seems to go awry due to lack of action. Effective and efficient planning can ensure right implementation of the project. Time slots along with mentioned addresses should be allotted to garbage collecting vehicles. Residents of all sectors should be made aware of segregating waste at source.

Charvi Tyagi, Chandigarh

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MC not serious on Swachh Bharat

Waste management is the key to Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. This is where Chandigarh has been failing repeatedly. The private door-to-door waste collection model has not worked in the City Beautiful. The UT Administration has to tackle the waste collection issue seriously. Creating awareness through roadshows and multi-media campaigns to educate residents about how to keep city clean and green by segregation of waste at source has to be an ongoing exercise.

Rajiv Boolchand Jain, Zirakpur

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Carrot-and-stick policy can bear fruit

It is our duty to segregate waste and hand it over to collectors in two separate buckets. It’s easy to segregate waste at source rather than at the processing plant. Residents should be apprised about waste segregation at source. Thereafter, violators should fined Rs100 for not complying with waste segregation norms. Only carrot- and- stick policy can bear fruits.

KC Rana, Chandigarh

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Stop giving waste to rehriwalas

Door-to-door garbage collection started by the UT Administration is a step towards cleaner city. The Administration has started garbage collection through vehicles, but residents seem unaware of the project. There is a need apprise residents about garbage segregation at source and timing of collection to make the project successful. Residents should stop giving waste to rehriwalas.

Wg Cdr Jasbir Singh Minhas (retd), Mohali

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Distribute pamphlets, educate residents

People must be educated in small groups about segregation of household wet and dry waste. Many residents are not aware of waste segregation at the source. Awareness camps can be arranged and pamphlets distributed door to door to spread information about segregating waste at source. A date must be fixed for strictly implementing the project and fines imposed on those, who do not follow waste collection norms.

Dr Sunil Behl, Chandigarh

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cooperate with authorities

Household waste and its environment friendly disposal has been a sore subject in Chandigarh. Now, the Chandigarh MC has introduced much awaited specially designed vehicles with separate compartments of dry and wet waste. The MC has also roped in previous door-to-door waste collectors to do their job in tandem with the crew of these vehicles. The ball is now in the court of every household, which have to sincerely segregate their dry and wet waste in separate containers or bags. By and large Chandigarhians are responsible residents and will cooperate with the authorities to make the project successful. However, the MC authorities will have to ensure compliance of the waste collection norms to make the project successful.

SC Luthra, Chandigarh

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Garbage collectors should be friendly

The UT Administration needs to create awareness regarding segregation of waste among residents by door-to-door visits and electronic and print media. Special garbage collection arrangements must be made for senior citizens, who live alone or working couples, who leave home early in the morning. Proper training must be imparted to garbage collectors to collect waste. Garbage collectors need to be friendly and cooperate with residents and authorities to make the waste segregation plan a success.

Abhilasha Gupta, Mohali

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MC must collaborate with welfare assns

To improve waste collection in the UT, awareness must be spread regarding segregation of waste at the source. Door-to-door garbage collection vehicles that have been introduced by the MC will be successful only if residents are aware of the project. Advertisements and collaboration with RWAs can considerably generate awareness. Rest, residents must take it as their responsibility and the need of the hour to segregate waste at source before handing it over to collectors.

Shobhna Kalra, Panchkula

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previous method of collection was good

The MC has replaced the previous method of garbage collection by introducing vehicles. Chandigarh is a city where many old and retired live. Many have their children working at far flung places even abroad. They are finding it difficult to dispose of garbage in vehicles. With age all suffer from one or the other disease. Many live on the first or second floors. It is difficult for working couples to dispose of segregated garbage in vehicles. The previous method of garbage collection by rehriwalas was good. More so they will lose their jobs once the new project becomes fully functional. We all have social responsibility towards them. The MC must give a second thought and stick to previous method of garbage collection.

NPS Sohal, Chandigarh

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Provide colour-coded disposal bags

Educate people about segregating waste at their homes through various platforms such as interesting TV advertisements, newspapers etc. Providing them labelled material like colour coded disposal bags for segregating waste. Highlight pros of door-to-door collection. Urge people to keep Chandigarh clean. Explain how small steps save time and effort at the higher level.

Sapanpreet Kaur, Chandigarh

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Impose fine for flouting norms

It is true that people know about waste segregation, but are reluctant to do it. They need to understand that the segregation of waste is for the welfare of society. So, they must follow all the guidelines issued by the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation. Fine should be imposed on them in case they fail to follow waste segregation norms. Indians take pride in flouting rules and regulations. This type of thinking must be curbed.

Bir Devinder Singh Bedi, Chandigarh

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A welcome step of the civic body

Decision of the Municipal Corporation to segregate waste at source is a welcome step. It will save us from mountains of garbage dumped at Dadu Majra, which gives an unhygienic look to passersby and residents staying nearby. Each sector should setup resource management centre to recycle waste. Dry waste (non-biodegradable) like clothes, polythene, bags, paper boards and used paper plates should be compressed in hydraulic machine to make useful items like planters, benches, tiles etc. Wet waste (biodegradable) like wood, cut vegetables, milk, tea leaves, fruit, food leftovers etc can be put in a rectangular bin to make organic manure. Organic manure will be ready within 50 to 60 days and can be used in kitchen gardens. Our mission should be 3Rs that is reduce, reuse and recycle so that no waste goes out of the sector.

Col TBS Bedi (retd), Mohali

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make residents aware of the new method

The Chandigarh MC has purchased some vehicles to collect segregated waste door-to-door. But this method has not been widely publicised. Due to lack of awareness residents still give unsegregated waste to rehriwalas. The MC should make the public aware about waste segregation at source and disposal for at least 15 to 20 days and then switch over to the new method of garbage collection. Residents, who don’t follow MC’s instructions, should be penalised for negligent attitude.

MR Bhateja, Nayagaon

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Penalties not a solution

No system of waste collection will work till residents understand its importance. Penalties for violation of the MC guidelines can never be a solution. They cannot coerce residents to segregate waste at source. Every household must dispose of segregated waste in two bags. Residents and sanitation workers have to be educated about classification of waste.

Lalit Bharadwaj, Panchkula

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Avoid generating waste in first place

To reduce the household waste plastic bags should be avoided. Say no to bottled water. The best way of dealing with waste economically and environmentally is to avoid generating it in the first place. For effective waste management reuse, recycle and energy recovery are more sustainable than conventional landfill or dumpsite disposal technique. Recycling saves energy, keeps waste out of landfills and incinerators and provides raw material for new products. This will conserve energy, reduce environmental pollution and help to earn money.

Akshar Kumar Singla, Chandigarh

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Residents not aware of new project

Garbage collection vehicles are not much successful in the City Beautiful because residents are not aware of this project. They do not know about waste segregation at source. The UT civic body should organise webinar to highlight the benefits of waste segregation at source and its disposal in a right manner. Posters regarding proper waste management should be displayed in public places.

Diksha Sood, Amloh

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Every house must have two bins

Sensitise residents about twin bins. Tell them that green and blue bins are for wet and dry waste (biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste). Display list of items that can be disposed of in green and blue bins respectively. The lackadaisical attitude of garbage collectors towards segregation must be checked.

Simran Sidhu, Chandigarh

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Scope for improving garbage collection

Garbage collection project introduced by the MCC is good, but there is scope for improvement. The MCC should improve waste collection service and make it user friendly. The civic body should set up an effective system for redressal of grievances related to garbage collection. Rates for garbage collection should be reasonable. The new project should not inconvenience residents, particularly those living on upper floors.

Ramesh Kumar Arora, Chandigarh

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Door-to-door waste collection better

Waste collection vehicles have been introduced by the MC in haste. The new system should have been tried in a few sectors. It’s almost impossible for each resident to come out from his/her flat and put garbage in the MC vehicle. Door-to-door collection is preferred in flats. Garbage collection vehicles should function under the supervision of the RWAs. People should keep separate bins for dry and wet waste.

Col Balbir Singh Mathauda (retd), Chandigarh

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Collection vehicles without attendants

Garbage collection vehicles of the MC are without required manpower. The project should have been prepared after consultations with residents. How can the MC expect residents to wait for the arrival of vehicles to handover waste? There is a place in all houses where waste is kept and should be collected by attendants of vehicles, but they just come and pass. A flow chart should be prepared from house to vehicle, including required manpower, and then the new garbage collection system should be put into place.

Bharat Bhushan Sharma, Chandigarh

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Residents’ habits will not change overnight

The decision of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation to effectively manage garbage in the city seems to be a knee jerk reaction to the impending Swachh Sarvekshan 2021. It has many pitfalls as habits of residents will not change overnight. The MC should have at least created awareness about the whole system. Penalising is no guarantee for success and it will antagonise residents. Many are even not aware about classification of garbage into various categories. Now, all of us should cooperate with the MC to make this drive a success so that City Beautiful climbs up in the 20121 Swachh Sarvekshan ranking.

Anil Kumar Yadav, Chandigarh

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Civic body taking project lightly

The Chandigarh Municipal Corporation started the project to collect door-to-door segregated household garbage. Residents are facing many problems since the start of this project. The MC is also taking this project lightly. People are hardly aware about segregation of the waste. The MC should start awareness programme by involving small number of people to make them aware of waste segregation at the source. The MC should conduct a survey to find out what kind of garbage collection system city residents want before coming up with any policy in this regard.

Avinash Goyal, Chandigarh

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New project will be counter-productive

The newly-introduced door-to-door garbage collection through twin-bin vans is riddled with flaws and is likely to prove counter-productive if the first day drive, which kicked off from Sectors 1 to 30, is any pointer. The drive left many residents high and dry as a majority of them were unaware of newly-introduced system of segregating waste at the source. The new system, replacing the far more people-friendly door-to-door garbage collection, created confusion among residents. Senior citizens and working couples, especially those residing on upper floors, are hard hit by the new system. Another potential hindrance is jumbo-sized vehicles, which are not able to enter narrow lanes and bylanes with dead ends. The MC authorities would have done better had they kept RWAs and other stakeholders in the loop for making a better and effective system. The authorities need to ensure that the system is implemented in a spirit prioritising residents’ convenience.

Ramesh K Dhiman, Chandigarh

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RWAs not taken into confidence

The new garbage collection method is a long-pending project, implemented in haste and without doing proper homework. Residents were not taken into confidence before formulation of the project. This created confusion among people. Wards RWAs were not involved and were flooded with complaints when the project was launched. There is no labour for picking up garbage from the door step. Besides, ‘rehriwalas’ collecting waste are protesting because they will lose their jobs. To improve garbage collection RWAs must be involved in the implementation and functioning of the project. timing for the arrival of garbage collection vehicles with proper workforce should be fixed for each sector.

Vidya Sagar Garg, Panchkula

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launch App for waste segregation

To ensure that the new system of collecting segregated waste is successful, the MC has to work wholeheartedly towards it. An app can be created through which residents can learn how to segregate their waste and also report any problem they are facing. Residents should also be able to track waste collection truck and communicate with its driver through the app. If a person is senior citizen living alone then waste collectors should assist him/her in segregating garbage. The MC should collect waste from every household. NGOs and RWAs can organise workshops to teach people how to segregate waste.

Saikrit Gulati, Chandigarh

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Put all garbage collectors on MC roll

A new project has been launched for door-to-door collection of waste using twin bin vehicles. Residents do not know how to segregate dry and wet waste, at what time collection vehicle will arrive in their area and what will be the fate of residents living on upper floors. Besides, what is the status of present door-to-door rehriwala garbage collectors? If we want to make the project a success, there is a need to bring awareness through media, pamphlets and personal contacting through NGO/RWAs. All door-to-door garbage collectors should be brought on the rolls of the corporation as this is the only source of their livelihood.

SK Khosla, Chandigarh

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Create awareness on waste segregation

The MC authorities must initiate and fund the scheme for installing bio-compost plants by residents and institutions in the city. Bio-compost is quite suitable for making land fertile and for growing vegetables. Every resident should be duty bound to segregate. The MC should hold awareness camps regarding segregating waste in sectors on regular basis. Once public awareness level is satisfactory then only the UT Administration should implement the segregation process and impose penalties for non-compliance.

Sanjay Chopra, Mohali

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