Chandigarh
1 February 2021
DIVYA AZAD
An Emergent meeting of CRAWFED was called on 31 January 2021 at Community Centre Sector 22 Chandigarh at 3:30PM under the Chairmanship of Sh. Hitesh Puri. The agenda of the meeting was discussion and clarification on door to door garbage collection in Chandigarh. Chief Guest on this occasion was Sh. Ravikant Sharma Mayor, Chandigarh.Mr. Surinder Sharma welcomed the Mayor.
Mr. Hitesh Puri, Chairman Crawfed, gave a memorandum to The Mayor regarding issues related to door-to-door collection of garbage in Chandigarh, in which he said that the residents at large are satisfied with the old system of garbage collection, where the rehriwalas come and pick garbage from door to door from past many years. In case the new system is to be implemented, he requested to give employment to these people.He appealed to the garbage collectors that they should not go on strike and should try resolving matter with discussion, as residents are always on the receiving side and have to face great difficulty.He said, presently the residents are paying very reasonable amount for getting garbage lifted from their doorsteps. Now, with new system coming, there is a fear that Municipal Corporation might charge hefty amount from them in water bills, which may cause hardship to fixed income group. He requested not to change the existing monthly charges.Mr. Puri also pointed out that in about 20% households there are only working couples residing, who leave their houses by 9:00 in the morning and thus timely lifting becomes essential.
Mr. Rajat Malhotra, General Secretary Crawfed, said that Residents across Chandigarh especially living in Housing Board flats and Societies are enjoying facility of getting garbage lifted from their door steps from past many years. Now residents fear that with starting of new system where trucks of Municipal Corporation will come to collect garbage in their locality, they will have to go to the truck and put garbage there. He requested to make arrangements of getting garbage collected from every householders door step as per the old system for the convenience of service class, senior citizens, and residents living on first, second and top floors of the flats. He also pointed out that how these trucks can enter village and colonies where streets are very narrow and many of them having dead end.He further said that in the past few years we have seen garbage collectors going on strike frequently. In such case he requested The Maoyr, to have an alternative system ready so that the residents do not suffer.
Mr. G S Ahluwalia, Senior Vice Chairman Crawfed, took up matter of monthly charges to be paid to garbage collectors. He said in the year 2017 rates were fixed by the MC, but never implemented.
Dr. Anish Garg, Chief Spokesperson Crawfed, pointed out that, we have about 2.5 lacs residential kitchens in Chandigarh. It is in everyone’s mind that how 390 trucks can lift garbage every day from every household timely. He said few garbage collectors are still on strike, MC should also talk with them and listen to their genuine demands.
Mr. Ravi Kant Sharma ji took up all the points one by one raised in the meeting. He said this new system is because of NGT directions. He said MC have three years time to Garbage Collectors to come out with proposal for lifting garbage according to guidelines of NGT. As they did not submitted any concrete proposal therefore MC has to buy new vehicles and started collecting garbage. He assured that already existing persons who have got themselves registered with MC, will get job and they will get full amount as they were getting earlier when they were collected themselves.
