E-Paper
Chandigarh MC to approach HC to review stay on twin-bin garbage collection
Meanwhile, the civic body will continue to collect waste through its vehicles and also allow cart-based collectors to pick up garbage through door-to-door visits
The municipal corporation has decided to move the Punjab and Haryana high court to vacate its stay order on collection of segregated garbage through twin-bin vehicles.
In the meantime, the corporation will continue to collect waste through its vehicles and also allow cart-based collectors to pick garbage through door-to-door visits.
“Following legal advice from senior standing counsel (SSC) of the Chandigarh administration, we have decided to approach the high court for vacation of the stay order,” said KK Yadav, MC commissioner.
Stating that MC will keep running its parallel system of garbage collection, Yadav said, “It is the primary responsibility of the MC to ensure sanitation in the city and that garbage is collected from all localities. So, MC vehicles will continue to collect garbage. At the same time, we will not stop any cart-based door-to-door collector, who will have to pick up waste in segregated manner.”
He added that most of the garbage collectors were already on board with MC’s takeover of door-to-door garbage collection. “Of the 1,286 informal garbage collectors, 1,035 have signed memorandum of understanding (MoU) to work with MC,” Yadav said.
No user charges in April
On the issue of user charges to be imposed in this scenario, Yadav said, “At present, proper garbage collection is our priority, so there will be no user charges in April. Sanitation has become all the more important amid the Covid-19 pandemic.”
On April 7, the high court had put a stay on the operation and effect of the Solid Waste Management Bylaws 2018 and a December 2019 resolution by the MC through which it had purchased motorised vehicles for garbage collection.
The 390 vehicles were bought at a cost of over ₹30 crore in the wake of directions by the National Green Tribunal to streamline solid waste management.
The first phase of garbage collection through MC vehicles was started in December last year in Sectors 1 to 30. In April, most of the city was brought under the MC drive.
It was contended in court that the bylaws and the resolution were contrary to the letter and spirit of the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, issued by the ministry of environment, forest and climate change, which contemplated the need to empower the garbage collectors and help ensure their employment.
