Huge waste collection charges shock residents

Sandeep Rana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 19

City residents got a shock when they received water bills with huge waste collection charges today. Some of the residents got bills ranging from Rs 3,000 to 4,000.

The residents, who used to pay around Rs 100 per house per month for waste collection, were left bemused by the huge bills.

The MC has started clubbing waste collection charges with water bills in a phased manner in different sectors.

Jagdish Walia, a resident of Sector 21, received a waste collection bill of Rs 3,375.

“I have a three-floor house. We live on ground floor and have rented out the first and second floor. Earlier, each of us used to pay Rs 100 per month for garbage collection. We are in a shock and fail to understand how come they have send such a hefty bill. If they have conducted any survey, it should be right,” said Walia.

“Rehris are used to collect the waste and the MC, which has failed to use its two-bin waste vehicles, is sending hefty bills to residents,” said Sector 21 resident Mohinder Paul Gupta, who got Rs 1,575 garbage collection bill today.

“Money is not the issue, but the waste management is. We are sick and tired of this new system. Waste collectors do not come for many days. The MC should let the RWAs to do the job,” Gupta added.

Baljinder Singh Bittu, chairman of the Federation of Sectors Welfare Association Chandigarh (FOSWAC), said “People are already suffering due to the bad policies of the Municipal Corporation and today it has lend another blow to the residents. We strongly object to the move and will hold a press conference to highlight the issue. We will also meet the MC officials in this regard.”

The latest bill mentions the charges up to June 15 with arrears, but the residents are confused over its duration. Just two months back the MC had issued a public notice asking people not to pay garbage collection charges to the old collectors.

Joint Commissioner Sorabh Arora was unavailable for comments.

The civic body which claimed to have started the waste collection through its 490 newly bought two-bin waste vehicles, has failed to implement the idea in most of the Sectors.

In a random check, it was found that in many areas of Sectors 21, 22, 45, 47, 48 and 38 the waste collection was done through carts.