No takers for Rs 350-cr solid waste plant project in Ambala

Nitin Jain

Tribune News Service

Ambala, November 29

Ambala’s plan to set up a solid waste management plant at an estimated cost of Rs 350 crore has failed to get any takers as no bidder came forward to take up the project.

Failing to get even a single bidder, the Municipal Corporation has decided to review the tender document and soften the conditions before re-floating the tender for the project.

Taking a serious note of the absence of any solid waste management plant here, the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) has put on notice the civic bodies in Ambala City and Cantonment, threatening to initiate action against their officials concerned under the provisions of the Environment Protection Act, 1988.

All this information came to the fore during the resumed hearing of a petition filed by a group of 15 local advocates, led by Bar Association president Rohit Jain, against the HSPCB, Deputy Commissioner and civic bodies of Ambala twin towns before the Permanent Lok Adalat (Public Utility Services) here.

In a separate show-cause notice issued for non-compliance of the Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) (Management and Handling) Rules, 2016, the HSPCB Regional Officer charged the Commissioners of both civic bodies for failing to comply with Section 15 of the MSW Rules by burning municipal solid waste in open and also not submitting the details of MSW generated, method of collection, segregation, transportation, processing and disposal thereof, as mandated by the rules.

The HSPCB gave a 15-day time to the civic bodies to comply with the provisions of the law for municipal solid waste management. “In case you fail to comply with the observations mentioned above within stipulated time period, it will be presumed that you have nothing to say in this regard and accept the status mentioned above for which further action will be initiated under the provisions of the law,” the show-cause notices said.

Meanwhile, taking up the hearing of the petition, the Permanent Lok Adalat Division Bench comprising chairperson Dr Sarita Gupta and member RK Jain summoned the executive officers of both civic bodies to remain present before the court on December 11, the next date of hearing, to apprise the court of the steps taken towards avoiding burning of waste and its segregation, besides door-to-door collection of garbage.

Appearing before the court, Ambala City MC executive officer Virender Saharan, submitted that steps were being taken and officials had been deputed to educate the general public to segregate waste and not to burn any type of waste. He said steps were being taken to install new plant for processing and disposal of municipal solid waste.

However, petitioners Rohit Jain and Neha, who were present during the hearing, informed the court that door-to-door garbage collection system had collapsed and dumped garbage was not being lifted for days together.

On this, the court directed the MC executive officer to engage the civic body employees to collect the dumped garbage on daily basis. The MC EO informed the court that a WhatsApp group and helpline number were introduced to make complaint of garbage burning at any place within the MC limits.

Comply with law in 15 days, MCs told

• The Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) gave a 15-day time to the civic bodies to comply with the provisions of the law for municipal solid waste management.
• “In case you fail to comply with the observations within stipulated time period, it will be presumed that you have nothing to say in this regard and further action will be initiated under the provisions of the law,” the show-cause notices said.