LUCKNOW An alleged showdown between the officials of Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) and those of Ecogreen, the Chinese company responsible for solid waste collection and disposal at Shivri landfill site, is adversely affecting the solid waste management in the state capital.
Recently, Ecogreen issued a notice to the LMC when the latter floated a tender to pick a new company for solid waste management. According to Ecogreen, its contract has still not been terminated.
Speaking on the issue, Leader of Opposition in LMC House and six-time corporator, Sayyed Yawar Hussain Reshu, said, “The solid waste management of the city is badly hit because of the ongoing showdown between Ecogreen and LMC. This has turned the much-touted Smart City into a Stinking City during the rainy season.”
He added, “It’s an insult to LMCs reputation that most of the companies working in the field of solid waste management have not shown any interest in the tender floated by it. For eight zones, only one company showed interest and that too, for a single zone. In such a situation, solid waste management has become a big problem in different parts of the city.”
This time, as an experiment, separate tenders were floated for the solid waste management of all the eight zones of the city. This was done to ensure that the failure of one company would not hit the entire city. However, the LMC will now have to float tenders once again. Officials hope that new companies will turn up for the tender the second time.
{{/usCountry}}This time, as an experiment, separate tenders were floated for the solid waste management of all the eight zones of the city. This was done to ensure that the failure of one company would not hit the entire city. However, the LMC will now have to float tenders once again. Officials hope that new companies will turn up for the tender the second time.
{{/usCountry}}An official of Ecogreen, requesting anonymity, said, “The company has served a notice to LMC for breach of contract. They will have to explain their action of floating another tender for the same work which is being performed by Ecogreen. We have carried out our task despite not getting its due money which runs into crores. Ecogreen cannot be punished for LMC’s fault.”
Countering allegations, LMC’s environment engineer Sanjeev Pradhan said, “The contract of Ecogreen could be terminated any day. The state government has given power to the municipal commissioner to take a call on the termination of contract.”
Pradhan added, “The vendors working for Ecogreen were not paid by the company. This is despite Ecogreen getting payments from us. We are trying to engage the same vendors for the work of waste collection in some wards of the city. The vendors have already started working.”
Meanwhile, municipal commissioner Inderjeet Singh said, “Everyone knows Ecogreen didn’t work properly and that’s why it is on its way out. The tenders were floated because LMC has to keep the city clean.”