Increasing troubles for the Ludhiana municipal corporation (MC) and city residents, the third party hired by the civic body for lifting garbage has given an ultimatum that it would cease its operations after June 30 (Wednesday) if its tipping fee (rate per tonne for lifting garbage) is not revised.
Over 1,100 metric tonnes (MT) of garbage is generated in the city on a daily basis and MC has been paying ₹324 per tonne as the tipping fee to the company.
Citing hike in diesel price and maintenance expenses, the company has now demanded that the civic body should at least pay ₹435 per tonne.
Mayor Balkar Sandhu convened a meeting with MC officials in this regard at his camp office on Tuesday, following which a committee was formed to look into the matter.
The committee comprises senior deputy mayor Sham Sundar Malhotra, leader of opposition in MC House Harbhajan Singh Dang, councillors Jai Prakash and Yashpal Chaudhary besides few civic body’s health branch officials.
The panel has been asked to find out the viability of lifting the garbage by MC on its own and look into the demand of the company.
As per the information, the company had sent the ultimatum to MC on June 10, but the civic body took it into consideration at the last minute.
{{/usCountry}}As per the information, the company had sent the ultimatum to MC on June 10, but the civic body took it into consideration at the last minute.
{{/usCountry}}One of the officials, who wished to remain anonymous, said it will be a herculean task for the MC to lift the garbage on its own as it has no machinery, such as tippers, required for transporting the trash to the main dumping site on Tajpur Road.
The civic body has already been facing the wrath of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) over its failure in dealing with solid waste properly.
A member of the committee and leader of opposition in MC house, SAD councillor Harbhajan Singh Dang said the panel is deliberating on the possibilities to continue the lifting process and the report will be presented before mayor Balkar Sandhu on Wednesday.
Mayor Sandhu said the final decision will be taken after going through the report of the committee.
MC is also working to hire a new contractor for solid waste management in the city, he added.
As per the sources, MC is deliberating on increasing the tipping fee till the time a new contractor is hired.
A2Z company had terminated its contract with MC on February 4 and the civic body made a stopgap arrangement by roping in the third party to whom A2Z company had sublet the work of lifting garbage from the city. The BJP councillors had earlier targeted mayor Balkar Sandhu for allegedly favouring the contractor.
Garbage collectors dump the waste collected from houses at over 40 secondary garbage dumping points in the city.
Tipping fee is paid to the company for shifting the garbage from secondary dumps to the main site of MC on Tajpur Road.