Waste collection in Faridabad stalled amid contract issues

The door-to-door collection of waste in Faridabad continues to be severely disrupted due to an ongoing dispute over the previous contract. Despite the issuance of a termination notice for the old contract, the Municipal Corporation of Faridabad (MCF) is still waiting for state government approval to issue fresh tenders. As a result, the city is grappling with the improper disposal of waste, with rubbish being dumped in open areas.

While secondary waste disposal — from transfer stations to final dumping or processing sites — continues, the primary collection has been severely affected due to the absence of a proper agency to manage it, leading to improper waste handling, according to sources within the civic administration. The problem emerged after the MCF terminated the previous contract for both primary and secondary waste collection in February, citing poor performance by the private company outsourced in 2017-18. While a tender for secondary disposal was eventually awarded, it was delayed due to technical issues.

A new Rs 32.95 crore tender for door-to-door waste collection was floated two months ago but has also been held up due to a High Court order that temporarily allowed the previous contractor to continue. The company had challenged the termination notice in court, according to officials.

In response, Faridabad and Gurugram civic authorities have issued fresh termination notices to the company, although this may delay the awarding of a new tender for primary waste collection in both cities by another two months.

“Failure to resume door-to-door waste collection has led to appalling conditions in many parts of the city, with waste being dumped on roadsides and in open spaces by individuals engaged in private waste collection,” said Varun Sheokand, a local resident. “These waste dumps have attracted stray cattle and worsened sanitation conditions, a situation that has persisted for nearly a year,” added Krishan Kumar, a resident of Old Faridabad.

Currently, over 1,000 tonnes of waste is generated daily within the city’s limits. The waste removed from transfer stations is currently disposed of at various sites, including two waste processing plants in Pratapgarh and Mujeri villages and the Bandhwari landfill site.

MCF Chief Engineer Birender Kardam said while primary waste collection has not yet resumed officially, private contractors are still handling some of the collection work pending further directives from the state government.