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Ecogreen asked to resume waste mgmt work in Lucknow, given ₹11 cr
Due to the poor work of this company, so much waste has accumulated at the Shivri plant that no place is left to dump waste. About 25 lakh metric tonnes waste is dumped at the plant and over ₹100 crore will have to be spent on its disposal, says four-time corporator
LUCKNOW The Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) has extended a payment of ₹11 crore to Ecogreen for resumption of waste management work in the city and payment of salaries to its staff. Some of the public representatives have expressed concern over the decision.
Over the last three years, there have been proposals in the LMC house for the removal of the company.
Four-time corporator from JC Bose ward, Sayyed Yawar Hussain ‘Reshu’, said, “The company that failed in waste management is being rewarded with a payment of ₹11 crore. The NGT had imposed a fine of ₹5 crore on this company because of its poor work, while contractors who performed well are not being paid.”
“Due to the poor work of this company, so much waste has accumulated at the Shivri plant that there is no place left to dump the waste. At present, about 25 lakh metric tonnes waste is dumped at the plant. More than ₹100 crore will have to be spent on its disposal,” he said.
Four-time corporator Shafiqur Rehman ‘Chacha’ said, “Even after charging around ₹60 crore annually, the Chinese company has turned the city into a garbage dump. The company has again been favoured by the government. The ongoing process of its removal has not only been postponed but a payment of ₹11 crore has been made to the company. For the last three years, despite the proposal of LMC house, the company has not been removed.”
However, Ecogreen CEO Nagarjuna Reddy said, “The company has been asked to clean the city’s waste. That’s why our staff is lifting waste from pick-up points and the compactors are also being repaired. However, the municipal corporation has to pay us around ₹30 crore, out of which ₹11 crore has been assured. Due to this, the outstanding salaries till March would be given to employees.”
Municipal commissioner Inderjeet Singh said during the meeting with the principal secretary, urban development, Ecogreen officials said employees of the company were not working due to non-payment of salaries. “For this reason ₹11 crore would be given to the firm. The LMC will cooperate in cleaning the city. As the election code of conduct is in force, no new policy decision can be taken in such a situation. Any new step will be taken only after the election code of conduct is over,” he added.
