Patiala MC to streamline sanitation bylaws’ implementation

Over a year after taking up the municipal solid waste management, and preparing cleanliness and sanitation bylaws, the Patiala municipal corporation (MC) is yet

Over a year after taking up the municipal solid waste management, and preparing cleanliness and sanitation bylaws, the Patiala municipal corporation (MC) is yet to streamline its implementation.

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The execution of bylaws will help resolve issues of storage, collection, transport, processing and disposal of solid waste and other sanitation problems faced by residents of the Royal City.

The salient features of the bylaws include garbage collection charges and penalties for littering and other garbage-related nuisances, but the municipal corporation is lagging behind in both the cases.

“The civic body has started charging residential and commercial units for collecting waste, but it had to stop doing so after the door-to-door garbage collection project failed,” an official said, pleading anonymity.

MC joint commissioner Lal Vishwas said that they have already scrutinised the rules and bylaws and have modified them as per the requirement of the Patiala civic body.

“Moreover, we have already constituted teams to keep a check on littering on roads and to take action against those who dump construction and building waste materials on roadsides,” he said.

He added that they are implementing the bylaws step-by-step so as to avoid inconvenience on both users and the MC ends.

In the absence of any specified bylaws, garbage is being dumped on roadsides and vacant plots across the Royal City. Residents claim that for over 50 years now, waste is being dumped in the open on Sanaur road.

WHAT THE BYLAWS STATE

The bylaws listed by the Union ministry of urban development include prohibition of littering and other garbage nuisances. This includes a ban on littering in any occupied, unoccupied, open or vacant public or private properties, littering from vehicles and waste carriage vehicles and a complete ban on public nuisance, which includes restriction on bathing, spitting, urinating, defecating and cooking in any public place.

The bylaws also define proper segregation, storage, delivery and collection of municipal solid waste, including biodegradable (wet) waste, specified domestic hazardous waste, construction and demolition waste, bulk garden and horticulture waste, including tree and plant trimmings, fully treated biomedical waste and non-biodegradable (dry) waste, including both recyclable and non-recyclable waste.

MC’S DUTIES

As per the central government’s bylaws, the municipal corporations need to set up waste collection services, install litter bins, set up dry waste sorting centres and composting centres, designate garbage pick-up points on public and private roads to provide and maintain suitable community bins under its jurisdiction, and deploy teams to keep tab on nuisance creators.

The civic body should also ensure adequate arrangement for cleaning of public roads, places, colonies, slums, local body, markets and tourism places, parks of the urban body, cremation grounds, on daily or at set intervals throughout the year besides providing door-to-door collection facility.

The bylaws further suggest that the urban local bodies should establish complaint centres in all wards, in order to manage the daily cleaning system of the city, more efficiently.

MONEY MATTERS

Proposed user charges (per month) for waste pick-up

Houses up to 50sq metre: ₹20

Houses over 50-300sq metre: ₹80

Houses with over 300sq metre: ₹150

Commercial establishments (shops and eateries): ₹250

Hotel/restaurant (normal): ₹750

Hotel/restaurant (up to 3 star): ₹1,500

Commercial offices (government offices, banks, educational centres): ₹750

Clinic, dispensary, laboratories (up to 50 beds): ₹2,000

Marriage halls (3,000sq metre): ₹2,000

Proposed penalties

Littering on roads/streets: ₹500

Spitting: ₹250

Bathing: ₹300

Urinating/defecating in public: ₹500

For burning waste: ₹500

For not keeping a house gully clean: ₹500

For littering/defecation by pet animals: ₹1,000