Sanitation, waste mgmt go for a toss in most LIT colonies

Kuldip Bhatia
Ludhiana, November 17

On the one hand, the civic body in city areas and the Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT) in colonies developed and maintained by it, are making tall claims over city securing better rank in the national-level ‘Swachh Sarvekshan-2021’ but on the other the system for collection and disposal of garbage in most parts of the so called ‘smart city’ remain pathetic. Due to the ongoing festival season, the situation has become worse.

‘Poor’ performance by pvt contractors

Unlike city areas where the MC has assigned the task of collection and disposal of garbage to a private waste management company, the LIT has no such system in place and sanitation as well as disposal of garbage is carried out by private contractors in its colonies. However, residents of these colonies have been persistently complaining about poor performance of sanitation contractors.

While the overall sanitation level as well as collection and disposal of garbage in the colonies of the LIT leaves much to be desired, the situation is particularly grim in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar where tonnes of garbage lies littered all along the main road of the colony touching D, E, G and H blocks, creating a permanent nuisance and a big health hazard for residents, especially at a time when people were already exposed to the risk of Covid-19 and other respiratory ailments.

Unlike city areas where the MC has assigned the task of collection and disposal of garbage to a private waste management company, the LIT has no such system in place and sanitation as well as disposal of garbage is carried out by private contractors in its colonies. However, residents of these colonies have been persistently complaining about poor performance of sanitation contractors.

Sources maintain that many of the contracts for sanitation in LIT colonies were given either to politically connected contractors or those close to the ruling dispensation. And for such ‘influential’ contractors, carrying out their assigned task in a satisfactory manner was not among the priorities.

Residents of affected colonies complained that in many areas the number of safai workers was far too less than the required strength as per terms and conditions of the contract and work orders issued to the contractors.

“Another reason for poor performance by the sanitation contactors is negligence and lack of proper supervision by the officials concerned of the LIT,” the residents added.

LIT officials, however, claimed that sweeping of roads and street in the Trust colonies and shifting of garbage to dumps were carried out by contractors while final disposal from dump sites was handled by the MC.

“We will take up the matter with MC officials to ensure proper and timely disposal of garbage from the secondary collection points,” an official said.