Thanesar civic body to engage pvt firm for door-to-door garbage collection
Nitish Sharma
Kurukshetra, January 30
The Thanesar Municipal Council (MC) has decided to engage a private firm for door-to-door collection, segregation and management of waste. The council has got approval from the Urban Local Bodies Department to engage a private firm.
While the government has been claiming to promote Kurukshetra as a tourist destination, the council had been struggling to maintain the sanitation due to limited resources and shortage of the staff. So far, the council has been using its own resources for garbage collection and management.
Tall claims, no result
The council has been claiming to make efforts to improve cleanliness, but in the absence of proper garbage segregation and solid waste management plants, the situation is unlikely to improve. —Naresh Bhardwaj, Green earth member
Around 80 tonnes of garbage is generated in a day within the MC limits.
Naresh Bhardwaj, local resident and member Green Earth, an NGO, said, “Piles of garbage along road can be seen in the city. Stray cattle eating from garbage is a common scene. There have been complaints of garbage being set on fire by sanitation workers instead of disposing it in a scientific manner, but no action is taken.”
The recent strike by tipper drivers and helpers, engaged in door-to-door garbage collection, due to non-payment of salaries crippled the sanitation conditions in several areas. As per the information, there are 81 tipper drivers and 62 helpers, who collect garbage in the town.
An official said, “So far, the council collected garbage and dumped it at designated places. Now, a decision has been taken to engage a private firm for this work. Besides, dumping sites have been another major issue that the council has been facing in Kurukshetra.”
Ajit Kumar, secretary, Thanesar Municipal Council, said, “Tipper drivers and helpers were on strike due to non-payment of salaries. The issue has been resolved and they will get their salary soon. The council has got approval to float tender for hiring firm for door-to-door collection, segregation, and management of waste. The firm will get payment as per the weight of the garbage collected. The firm can also take tippers of the council on rent.”
“There will be a penalty clause in the tender to ensure that the garbage is timely collected and processed. It will help us in improving the sanitation condition of the city,” he added.
