Waste collection may be disrupted in central zone
The private operator is currently operating on an extended contract, after its contractual period expired last year, and the MCD is unable to hire a new concessionaire in the absence of a standing committee
New Delhi
Parts of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s central zone, extending from Daryaganj-Pragati Maidan at one end to Kalkaji and Sarita Vihar at the other end, may face potential disruption in garbage collection, as the agency responsible for garbage management warned to end its services by July 25, senior municipal officials said on Friday.
The private operator is currently operating on an extended contract, after its contractual period expired last year, and the MCD is unable to hire a new concessionaire in the absence of a standing committee.
A senior MCD official of the sanitation department, who did not want to be named, said: “The concessionaire has cited the expiration of their contract last year as the reason for discontinuing their services. They have mentioned that the extension of their operations was done without a formal agreement or an increase in the collection fees.”
Delhi’s MCD areas comprise 12 zones and 250 wards, which cumulatively produce around 11,000 tonnes of garbage every day. The central zone, which has 25 wards, produces around 1,000 tonnes of waste daily. It comprises Daryaganj, Siddharth Nagar, Lajpat Nagar, Andrewsganj, Amar Colony, parts of Sangam Vihar, Kalkaji, Sriniwaspuri, Tughalaqabad and Sarita Vihar, among other wards.
A second official, on condition of anonymity, said negotiations were being carried out to convince the operator. “The agency has written to us stating that corporation should make its own arrangements to lift waste from July 25. We are hoping to find a resolution. But as a contingency plan, are also formulating a plan for waste collection in the 25 wards if the operator withdraws its services,” the official said.
The mayor’s office and the private concessionaire did not respond to requests for comment.