In a sudden move, the Tiruchirapalli City Corporation has restricted the private solid waste management firm to carry out garbage cleaning in just 10 wards instead of 18 wards.
The move comes in the wake of reservations expressed by a few councillors to allow conservancy workers of private firm to clean their areas. They are apparently insisting that the garbage cleaning should be carried out only through conservancy workers employed by the corporation.
It had originally given permission to a Chennai-based firm to take up sanitary work and solid waste management in 18 wards. The council had given its approval for privatisation of garbage cleaning about one-and-a-half years ago.
As per the agreement, Srinivas Waste Management agency was asked to take up collection of garbage, segregation at source, and transport it to garbage dump yards. It was given charge of wards 8 and 9 in Srirangam zone; wards 7, 28, 29, 61, 62 and 64 in Ariyamangalam zone; wards 35-39, 63, and 65 in Golden Rock zone and wards 40, 41, and 45 in K. Abishekapuram zone besides Central and Chathram bus stands and Gandhi Market in the city. It had to cover 77,262 households in an area of 50 square km.
However, the private firm has been asked to restrict its activities to 10 wards, two bus stands, and Gandhi Market.
Asked about the reasons for downsizing the work by the private firm, V.P. Thandapani, Commissioner, told The Hindu that the idea was to ensure zero garbage in 10 wards. The private firm had been asked to show the results in the allotted areas and Gandhi Market. The authorities would closely follow the cleaning activities.
About the reported opposition by a few councillors, he said the decision was arrived after a long process and discussion at the council meeting. He had received requests from a few more councillors to outsource the garbage cleaning works. However, it was for the council to take a call on this.
