In-depth deliberations & building of trust can break deadlock

How to bring consensus between garbage collectors & municipal corporation?

Consider vehicles for lifting waste

As we all know that hygiene is indispensable for an individual as well as for our surroundings. Waste collectors play a significant role in this regard. They must be honest and punctual with their duties. The union should explore the possibility of lifting garbage with vehicles and follow the norms regarding their work, which are finalised by the MC.

Amandeep Kaur, Dera Bassi

Reverting to old system is good

Reverting to door-to-door waste collection is welcome decision. Mechanised waste collection failed as there was no coordination between residents and waste collectors. Segregated waste should be taken to processing plant. Wet waste should be converted into organic manure and dry waste should be recycled to make useful items like planters, benches, tiles etc. There is no need to pile garbage like at Dadu Majra, which pollutes air and presents an unhygienic look of the area. Also, door to door waste collection will give employment to collectors. Remember 3Rs – reduce, reuse and recycle – are key to efficient waste collection system.

Col TBS Bedi (retd), Mohali

Union leader cannot dictate terms

One union leader OP Saini and his fellow waste collectors have been brought on board by the MC authorities. They got themselves registered to work in tandem with the crew of garbage carrying vehicles. Giving time to other union leader Shamsher Lotia and his men to follow suit by January 31 was a sympathetic gesture on the part of the MC. Now, this defiant union leader should not be allowed to take the authorities for a ride by letting some parts of the city stink with dumps of garbage. Hopefully, he will also be tactfully brought around like OP Saini and his men and the issue will be resolved without the MC going for its own separate manpower for collecting garbage in the city.

SC LUTHRA, Chandigarh

Find amicable solution to issue

The dead lock between the Municipal Corporation and garbage collectors has been inconveniencing city residents. The Administration must find amicable solution to the vexed problem through meaningful dialogue. Workers involved in garbage collection must be briefed about the benefits of mechanised garbage lifting in the city. They can also be adjusted at other posts in the MC to save their livelihood.

Wg Cdr Jasbir Minhas (retd), Mohali

RWAs must intervene

To bring a consensus between waste collectors and the Municipal Corporation, the RWAs must intervene so that UT residents don’t suffer. Communication and collaboration are the only way to achieve consensus and guarantee success of the mechanised waste collection system. The deadlock must be broken at the earliest.

Shobhna Kalra, Panchkula

Door-to-door garbage collection better

Old and retired, working class couples and sick residents live in Chandigarh. It is not easy for them to give garbage to vans collecting waste. The city should stick to the old system. This will give employment to all garbage collectors. The Municipal Corporation has social responsibilities towards garbage collectors.

NPS Sohal, Chandigarh

Upper floor residents facing problem

The door-to-door garbage collection system must continue in the UT. Garbage collectors with carts pick garbage from all floors of houses. Garbage collecting vans are not doing so. People living on second and third floors are facing problems as their garbage is not being collected by waste collectors accompanying vans.

Jenny Znobia, Chandigarh

Enhance wages of waste collectors

The reason for the said deadlock must be wages paid to waste collectors. The work of garbage collectors has increased due to introduction of the mechanised waste collection system by the Municipal Corporation in Chandigarh. Their wages must be enhanced. Waste collectors should try to understand that the new method will ultimately reduce their burden in the long run. Besides, mechanised waste collection is hygienic as residents will themselves segregate dry and wet waste and hand it over to garbage collectors in separate bags. The Municipal Corporation and waste collectors should sit together to find an amicable solution to the problem in the larger interest of Chandigarh residents.

Bir Devinder Singh Bedi, Chandigarh

MC should look after waste collection

The entire waste collection system must be run by the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation (MC). The civic body must employ its own men to run the twin-bin hopper tipper vehicles. The MC should take all waste collectors under its ambit of responsibilities and pay them as per the decided rates. The corporation should directly send bills of waste collection to house owners.

Anita Tandon, Kharar

Employ old waste collectors

Mechanised door-to-door garbage collection is a good initiative started by the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation. The civic body should employ previous waste collectors, who lost their livelihood after the introduction of mechanised system. Any modification in the existing system faces some opposition. So, the MC should find a way out to resolve differences with waste collectors.

Adish Sood, Amloh

New system riddled with flaws

The new door-to-door garbage collection system is riddled with many flaws. It was implemented in haste without doing proper home work. The MC should have first consulted waste collectors before going ahead with the mechanised garbage collection. The civic body must consider the status of the present waste collectors, who fear losing their jobs. The MC should bring them on its roll. Besides, RWAs must be taken into confidence to make the new garbage collection system a success.

Vidya Sagar Garg, Panchkula

Withdraw mechanised waste collection

The MC should have done its homework well before the implementation of the new garbage collection system. Number of garbage collection vehicles per sector are less. The new system has left residents confused as many don’t know when waste collection vehicle will arrive in their area. Informal garbage collectors are on the verge of losing their livelihood. The MC should withdraw the new mechanised garbage collection and continue with the old system.

Abhilasha Gupta, Mohali

MC can tie up with RWAs

It’s taxpayer money, which the Chandigarh MC used to buy double bin vehicles worth Rs37 crore. These vehicles are not useful because of the erratic waste collection. Many residents prefer informal cart-based waste collectors. It will be better if the MC ties up with the RWAs for mechanised waste collection. RWAs can pacify residents to dispose of segregated waste in newly bought vehicles. The MC should ensure regular waste collection in the city.

MR Bhateja, Nayagaon

Apprise stakeholders of new system benefits

Differences between the MC authorities and waste collectors have to be resolved immediately. Health workers of the MC should educate waste collectors about the necessity and benefits of the mechanised system. Wages of waste collectors can be marginally enhanced to placate them.

Balbir Singh Batra, Mohali

Think about residents’ inconvenience

The Municipal Corporation (MC) and door-to-door garbage collectors should hold a meeting wherein they must try to reach a consensus over the income distribution. The MC taking over the door-to-door garbage collection by deploying special vans is a good move. The demand of the informal garbage collectors to rollback mechanised waste lifting isn’t justified. But, the MC should listen to garbage collectors to resolve differences. Both the parties concerned should think about the inconvenience caused by deadlock and strikes to the public.

Simran Sidhu, Chandigarh

Safeguard interests of waste collectors

Garbage collectors’ plea for withdrawal of the mechanised waste collection system isn’t justified as automation is part of development in any sector. Deployment of garbage collection vehicles will certainly cut expenditure and save time for the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation. However, fear among the workforce involved in garbage collection that they will lose jobs and earnings if their work is replaced by machines is genuine and justifiable. The MC must safeguard jobs of thousands of such workers by providing employment. It’s upto the government to protect rights and interests of workers, who have served the public for so many years. The resolution should be a win-win situation for both the parties.

Sanjay Chopra, Mohali

A knee-jerk reaction

The decision of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation to manage garbage collection through mechanised mode seems to be a knee jerk reaction to impending 2021 Swachh Survekshan. Door-to-door collection of segregated garbage will definitely have an impact on the overall cleanliness of the city. However, recent deadlock between waste collectors and the Municipal Corporation should be resolved amicably. The MC should listen to grievances of waste collectors and try to resolve them. Without cooperation and support of waste collectors the mechanised waste collection system is bound to get derailed thus affecting residents. Safety needs of waste collectors should be addressed by the MC.

Anil Kumar Yadav, Chandigarh

Waste not lifted from all floors

The mechanised waste collection is not working properly because of rift between collectors and Municipal Cooperation. The MC should select two sectors and start mechanised waste collection in these areas. Once it becomes successful in the two sectors all things will fall in line. Main hindrance is not lifting of waste from all floors of houses.

Bharat Bhushan Sharma, Chandigarh

Make residents aware of waste segregation

After spending taxpayers’ money the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation launched a new scheme for door-to-door collection of waste using twin bin vehicles. Residents, who are actually stakeholders, are not aware of the scheme. What will be the fate of residents, who are living on upper floors? If we want to make the scheme a success residents should be made aware about segregating waste at source. Door-to-door waste collectors should be brought on the rolls of the Municipal Corporation as garbage collection is the only means of earning their livelihood.

SK Khosla, Chandigarh

QUESTION

Now, all activities are permitted outside containment zones to bring economy back on the track. Even the cap on the number of persons attending social events such as marriage functions has been removed. Is it too early to open all activities as this may lead to a surge in Covid cases or is it necessary for the economy of the country as active cases have declined?

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