Ludhiana civic body’s sanitation overhaul plan hits roadblock, no bidders for second time

The Ludhiana Municipal Corporation’s ambitious sanitation overhaul plan, pegged at around Rs 1,550 crore, has hit another roadblock as no bidders came forward for the second consecutive time. Following the lack of response, the civic body has refloated both tenders for the third time and extended the submission deadline till April 17.

The two major projects include the Integrated Solid Waste Management (ISWM) project, estimated at over Rs 1,400 crore, and mechanised road sweeping works collectively worth around Rs 150 crore.

Confirming the development, Superintending Engineer Sham Lal Gupta said: “Tenders have been extended for five more days as no bidder came for both tenders.”

The project is aimed at bringing a comprehensive and scientific system for handling municipal waste in the city. It includes door-to-door collection, segregation at source, transportation and processing of waste through modern facilities. The project is expected to streamline the entire waste management chain and reduce the burden on existing dumping sites.

Officials said the initiative was crucial in addressing the city’s serious garbage issue and ensuring better environmental management. The MC has been planning to implement a long-term solution to improve efficiency and meet regulatory norms related to solid waste disposal.

The second component focuses on mechanised road sweeping. The project covers both internal roads, spanning nearly 2,500 km, and main roads measuring around 697 km. The plan is to deploy modern machines for regular cleaning to improve sanitation standards and reduce dust pollution across the city.

At present, the civic body is partially dependent on manual sweeping and limited mechanised operations. Officials believe that full-scale implementation of mechanised sweeping will ensure better coverage and consistent cleanliness on major roads.

Despite the importance of both projects, the absence of bidders for the second time has raised concerns within the civic body. The tenders were initially floated earlier this year but failed to receive any response. Even after re-inviting bids, the situation remained unchanged.

Sources in the MC said the projects involve large-scale operations and long-term commitments, which could be factors affecting participation. However, officials are hopeful that the extension and re-floating of tenders would attract bidders this time.

The delay in finalising the projects means that the city will continue to rely on its existing sanitation system, which has often drawn criticism from residents over issues such as irregular garbage collection and inadequate road cleaning.

With the revised deadline now set for April 17, the MC is making another attempt to push forward its long-pending sanitation plans, which are seen as key to improving the overall cleanliness and environmental conditions in the city.