Panchkula residents want uniform garbage-collection rates

Say they are following instructions on waste segregation, and should be paying even rates for garbage collection

With the long-awaited segregated waste collection kickstarting in Panchkula last week, residents are now seeking uniform garbage collection rates across sectors.

HT Image

The Citizens’ Welfare Association (CWA) has requested the civic body to review the garbage-collection rates, and either bring them on a par with Chandigarh or Mohali, or make them uniform across Panchkula.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) had directed Panchkula to ensure 100% compliance of Waste Management Rules by September 5. Meeting the deadline, Panchkula MC started waste segregation in the city on September 2.

Now, in a memorandum submitted to the MC commissioner, the CWA members have urged the civic body to initiate steps to either lower the rates and make them uniform across the city, or bring them on par with its counterparts in the tricity.

CWA president SK Nayar said the residents were following the necessary garbage segregation instructions, but were still in a fix with regards to disparity in rates.

Residents said the collection fee varied from sector to sector, from anywhere between ₹70 and ₹150.

Raman Kumar, a resident of Sector 4, said, “Waste collectors charge different fee in various sectors from houses of equal size. Residents are bound to follow MC’s order to segregate waste, but the corporation should ensure a uniform fee for waste collection.”

MC commissioner Rajesh Jogpal said, “We are reviewing the matter to streamline rates for garbage collection.”

“Work is also on to build three new material recovery centres through which wet waste will be processed into compost,” he added.

DEFAULTERS TO BE PENALISED

Jogpal said residents were required to compulsorily segregate waste — at household and at commercial level — into wet, dry and domestic hazardous waste (bio and sanitary).

Any non-compliance will be treated as disobedience of the NGT order, and defaulters will be fined anywhere between ₹500 and ₹9,500, depending on the category, he said.

So far, the civic body has not started challaning the violators.

It is currently holding awareness campaigns, wherein pamphlets are being distributed and announcements are being made through loudspeakers in three-wheelers. Radio advertisements are also been placed to sensitise people about the concept. In the next stage, waste segregation will be initiated in Pinjore and Kalka.