Cutting across party lines, councillors of Mangaluru City Corporation expressed concern on Thursday that door-to-door collection of solid waste, drain cleaning and grass cutting have been hit in many wards as the civic body’s solid waste management contract company has failed to carry out its task efficiently.
Joining the chorus, Mayor Kavita Sanil alleged that Antony Waste Handling Cell Pvt. Ltd., the contract company, was “blackmailing” the corporation as its workers often resort to strike with various demands hitting garbage collection from houses.
The Mayor said that she has been receiving complaints from people regarding non-collection of garbage from houses and de-silting and cleaning of storm-water drains.
Bhasker Moily, a councillor, and Mahabala Marla, former Mayor, said that the workers should turn up for work at 6 a.m. But now they turned up only at 9.30 a.m. and wounded up garbage collection from houses at 1 p.m. Hence, in many interior parts of the city, garbage remained uncollected.
As a result, Raghuveer, a councillor, said that many people threw garbage on the roadside and waste bins. Hence, garbage piled up in open places.
The councillors questioned why the corporation has not been able to make its contract company to work efficiently and prevent its workers from resorting to strike now and then.
Madhu Kiran, a councillor, said that if garbage collecting vehicles could not be operated due to technical snags, the contractor should press into service other vehicles. But in his Kunjathbail South ward the contract recently company did not supplement any vehicle and garbage remained uncleared for three days.
A health official agreed that garbage remained uncleared for two days during this month’s Krishnastami.
Mohammed Nazir, Commissioner, agreed that there were issues relating to solid waste management in the city for the last two months. Following a meeting with the company authorities sometime ago, the company agreed to address the issues. The corporation has also warned the company that it will issue legal notice if it failed to work efficiently.
The Commissioner said that the company would be given a fortnight from Thursday to address all issues. If not, the corporation would resort to legal steps.
