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What a waste! Bought to collect garbage, e-rickshaws lying unused in Ludhiana
Out of the total 350 e-rickshaws, only around 80 are being used to collect waste in different wards, while the rest are lying unused at the MC’s facility at Hambran road in Ludhiana
: Purchased for over a whopping ₹9 crore by the city municipal corporation, e-rickshaws meant to collect household waste from residential areas in a segregated manner have been lying unused at the civic body’s workshop in the city.
Out of the total 350 e-rickshaws, only around 80 are being used to collect waste in different wards, while the rest are lying unused at the MC’s facility at Hambran road.
The municipal corporation first conducted the trial of 20 e-rickshaws in June 2022 in four wards, after which these were launched in Ghumar Mandi area, eight in Ward no 41 and other areas. These e-rickshaws have separate containers for organic and inorganic waste as per the National Green Tribunal’s recommendation.
The proposal to deploy e-rickshaws for door-to-door lifting of garbage was tabled after a civic body team saw the same being used in Chennai during its official visit to study solid waste management last year.
The delay in putting the vehicles in service which was to reduce the workload of the waste collectors and replace the carts has drawn the flak from the residents. A group of people had also staged a protest outside the MC workshop for the administration’s failure to provide benefits of the e-rickshaws to the residents.
Gaurav Yadav, an NGO member, said that e-rickshaws lying unused will eventually get damaged. He added that the rickshaws have been bought by utilising so many funds, and the benefits should be passed on to people.
Another resident Hitesh said that a number of schemes and infrastructural projects started by the authorities have turned into white elephants in the past.
Being deployed in a phased manner, say MC officials
Municipal corporation heath branch official Dr Vipul Malhotra said that the vehicles are being deployed in a phased manner.
He said that before pressing them into service, we will have to make sure in which areas it will be most beneficial. He said that authorities also have to think about the security of the vehicles as these will be used by contractual employees.
