After locking horns with the civic body over solid waste management and open dumping of garbage in the city, the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) has now asked the A2Z company to give ₹9-lakh bank guarantee. The guarantee has been sought for its failure to manage and treat the waste at the main dump site of the municipal corporation (MC) on the Tajpur Road.
A bank guarantee is a type of guarantee from a lending institution. The bank guarantee means a lending institution ensures that the liabilities of a debtor will be met. In other words, if the debtor fails to settle a debt, the bank will cover it.
Earlier in June, an inquiry was initiated by the PPCB after regular fire incidents were reported at the main dump site of the MC resulting in pollution.
The company officials had said, “Fire breaks out at the main dump site frequently due to methane gas that is generated out of the garbage or due to the mischief of the ragpickers, who put the garbage on fire for finding useful material like iron pieces, etc.”
The PPCB officials had also asked the company to improve its functioning for treating the garbage dumped at the site on a regular basis. As per information, over 1,100 metric tonnes of garbage, generated in the city, is being dumped at the site every day. As per the contract, the company had to set up a refuse-derived fuel (RDF) plant, a compost plant and a sanitary landfill for dealing with the waste, so that it should not accumulate at the site.
Presently, over 24 lakh metric tonnes of garbage has accumulated at the main dump site. PPCB superintending engineer, Sandeep Behl said, “Earlier the A2Z company was asked to improve its functioning at the main dump site, but it has failed to do so. The company has now been asked to submit the bank guarantee for three months. If the company failed to improve its working then the bank guarantee would be forfeited.”
{{/usCountry}}Presently, over 24 lakh metric tonnes of garbage has accumulated at the main dump site. PPCB superintending engineer, Sandeep Behl said, “Earlier the A2Z company was asked to improve its functioning at the main dump site, but it has failed to do so. The company has now been asked to submit the bank guarantee for three months. If the company failed to improve its working then the bank guarantee would be forfeited.”
{{/usCountry}}Manager of A2Z company, Vishant Chaudhary, said, “Dealing with the legacy waste is not a part of the contract, which the MC had signed with the company. The refuse-derived fuel (RDF) plant is also working at present and they are also working to make the compost plant operational.”
“We will deposit the bank guarantee with the PPCB,” said Chaudhary. Earlier May, the PPCB had also asked the MC to deposit a bank guarantee of ₹50 lakh over its failure in dealing with solid waste and open dumping of garbage in the city. However the MC has not yet submitted the guarantee.