Garbage transport contractors in Mumbai threaten to halt work over show cause notice

he notices were issued after the contractors were found to be mixing debris with waste to increase the weight of the waste being carried to the dumping grounds.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) garbage transportation contractors have threatened to stop work from January 27 if the civic body does not withdraw the show cause notice issued to them in September last year.

The contractors collect garbage from four depots across the city and carry it to the dumping grounds. (HT file photo)

The contractors collect garbage from four depots across the city and carry it to the dumping grounds. The notices were issued after the contractors were found to be mixing debris with waste to increase the weight of the waste being carried to the dumping grounds.

Garbage transportation contractors are paid by the civic body according to the weight of the total amount of waste collected. They are paid Rs40 per tonne of debris and Rs800 per tonne of solid waste.

Ajoy Mehta, municipal commissioner, said, “We will go by the law and will not succumb to their threats.”

In October, the Solid Waste Management department caught them carrying waste mixed with debris. After suspecting malpractice, officials filmed the garbage transporters in the act. In September last year, BMC registered FIRs against five contractors and sent show cause notices to seven.

Ravi Raja, leader of the opposition in the BMC, said, “Now the contractors have said they cannot work with a show cause notice, and have demanded that the civic body withdraw them.”