Developers told to ensure solid waste management rules are followed before handing over projects

Ritu Maheshwari, the CEO of Noida Authority, said the authority was working on decentralising waste collection and disposal in Noida.

The Noida Authority on Saturday asked developers to ensure compliance of solid waste management (SWM) rules in all new projects before handing over possession to residents.

Maheshwari, who was the district magistrate of Ghaziabad before becoming Noida CEO, said Ghaziabad significantly improved its Swachh Survekshan ranking from 300 to 13 in two years. (HT image)

The directions same at a workshop organised by the authority for bulk waste generators at the Indira Gandhi Kala Kendra in Sector 6, where representatives of high-rise apartments, malls, restaurants, hotels from across sectors participated.

Ritu Maheshwari, the CEO of Noida Authority, said the authority was working on decentralising waste collection and disposal in Noida. “There are several societies that have installed compost machines on their premises. By the end of September, the door-to-door waste collection will be implemented in entire Noida. There are some challenges and we will soon overcome them,” she said.

Maheshwari, who was the district magistrate of Ghaziabad before becoming Noida CEO, said Ghaziabad significantly improved its Swachh Survekshan ranking from 300 to 13 in two years. Noida was ranked 150 in Swachh Survekshan 2019, conducted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).

Maheshwari said Survekshan 2020 surveys will soon begin and the city needs to prepare. “We urged people to generate less solid waste and manage them at their own levels. Noida Authority will soon form a Swachh Volunteer’s group to facilitate this process,” she said. Noida generates around 1,000 tonnes of solid waste every day, which is collected from sectors and villages and then disposed of at the Mubarakpur temporary waste site.

It mandates bulk waste generators to segregate and store the waste generated by them in three separate streams — biodegradable, non-biodegradable and domestic hazardous waste — in suitable bins and hand over segregated wastes to authorised waste pickers or waste collectors as directed or notified by the local authorities.

Representatives of DLF Mall, Homes 121, and other societies participated in the programme. But some residents said Noida Authority’s door-to-door waste collection was still not perfect as sanitation workers mix the dry and wet waste in the same van. The Noida Authority said the issue would be fixed by September end.

The CEO asked people not to use polythene bags for shopping. She gifted jute bags to some of participants.