Huda seeks help from RWAs to keep city clean

Amid rising number of complaints over poor sanitation, the Haryana Urban Development Authority (Huda) is planning to introduce a new sanitation model on the lines of community participation.

Amid rising number of complaints over poor sanitation, the Haryana Urban Development Authority (Huda) is planning to introduce a new sanitation model on the lines of community participation.

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Beginning March, the civic body plans to tighten the noose around sanitation contractors with the help of residents’ welfare associations (RWAs).

Huda will also constitute teams of RWA members and Huda junior engineers (JEs) in various localities to monitor solid waste disposal work by contractors.

At present, the authority is scrutinizing proposals for contracts by six sanitation firms from Gurgaon, Delhi and Noida.

“Six private companies have submitted their plans but we are not very satisfied. We need to involve RWAs to help the Huda keep the city clean,” said a Huda official.

The RWA-JEs teams will monitor road cleaning and disposal of solid waste on a daily basis. These teams will then file a report with the estate officer (EO). The Huda is also considering introduction of a penalty system for erring contractors. To avoid a fine, the sanitation staff will have to ensure that garbage is not found lying on the roads. They also need to make sure that trucks should dispose of garbage at the Bandhwari solid waste treatment plant on Faridabad Road.

Moreover, Huda has plans for a three-fold increase in the number of sanitation workers (safai karmcharis), apart from more truck dumpers, tractors and covered rickshaws for transport of waste. Since March 2012, the Huda has been managing sanitation work in the city by granting extensions to old contractors every three months.

Huda spends Rs 56 lakh on sanitation work every month and the contractors have been facing acute shortage of safai karmcharis. They also have reported shortage of number of vehicles, such as JCBs, tractors, trolleys and rickshaws.