Sanitation goes for a toss in Panipat

There is a growing resentment among residents of Panipat over poor sanitary conditions. Heaps of garbage can be seen everywhere in the city due to tardy garbage lifting.

Sources said a total of 250-300 tonnes of garbage is generated per day in Panipat city and the MC was spending around Rs 4.5 crore per month to maintain cleanliness.

As per available information, three private companies have been entrusted the job of cleanliness in the city. The JBM company is collecting garbage door to door while the MC allotted the tender for cleanliness of the city to two companies after dividing the city into four zones in May 2022.

The sources said that the MC had allotted two tenders of cleanliness after dividing the city into four zones. The tender of Zones 1 and 2 (which include Wards 1 to 14) was allotted to the IND Sanitation Solution and Zones 3 and 4 (which include Wards 15 to 26) to Pooja Consultation for two years. The tenders were allotted at approximately Rs 42 crore annually. The companies had around 1,000 employees. Around 500 regular employees were engaged in the sanitation wing of the MC to maintain the city.

The tenders ended in May this year, but due to the Model Code of Conduct during the Lok Sabha elections, the tenders were extended by the ULB headquarters for three months. Thereafter, the government again extended the tenders as the Model Code of Conduct was implemented again in the state for the Assembly elections.

But, during the festive season, the sanitation system in the city has collapsed badly. Heaps of garbage were piled up on all main roads, internal roads, main markets and streets due to tardy lifting of the garbage for the last two-three days in the city during the festive season.

The sitting City MLA Pramod Vij and Education Minister Mahipal Dhanda, too, have directed MC officials to clean the city properly.

Jitender Narwal, Chief Sanitary Inspector, MC, said that the quantity of garbage increased during the festive season. "Company employees were working constantly to clean the city, but due to the festive season, some problems were encountered at some places in the city, but everything would be alright in a day or two," he said.

The tenders for cleanliness were in the extension period which would be ended by the end of this month, he said.

Narwal further said that the proposal for allotment of the new cleanliness tenders was being prepared according to the state government’s norms.