NMC spends to improve garbage transfer stations, lets operators violate rules

Nagpur: The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has started to concretize garbage transfer stations at a cost of over Rs1 crore even though this was the responsibility of the two private operators — AG Enviro Infra Projects Private Ltd, and BVG India Limited.
The civic body has started concreting surface layer at 10 garbage transfer stations, five each in the jurisdiction of the two operators.
NMC officials told TOI, “We are receiving regular complaints about mixing of construction and demolition (C&D) waste with garbage by two operators. But the operators claim the complaints are wrong. They claim sand and C&D waste is already lying at the garbage transfer stations, which is leading to the complaints. To end the issue, we are concretizing all transfer stations. Then, our teams can check easily if any sand or C&D waste comes to the transfer stations.”
As per the agreement executed between the civic body and operators, it is not mandatory for NMC to develop garbage transfer stations. It is the responsibility of two operators to create infrastructure for collection of garbage from households and transportation up to Bhandewadi dumping yard.
Also, as per the agreement, the operators are supposed to transfer garbage from one vehicle to another, and transport up to Bhandewadi dumping yard without dumping the garbage anywhere. Citing this, NMC had recently levied a fine on AG Enviro, after reports by TOI.
A couple of years ago, special purpose vehicle of NMC’s Smart City Project — Nagpur Smart and Sustainable City Development Corporation Limited (NSSCDCL) — had floated tenders to develop five garbage transfer stations and hand them over to NMC. Later, the tender was cancelled, saying there was no need of garbage transfer stations as operators were supposed to transfer garbage from one vehicle to another.
In view of all these issues, it is clear that the cash-strapped civic body is literally gifting taxpayers’ money of over Rs1 crore to two operators. Also, NMC is itself encouraging the operators to dump garbage on surface layer by concretizing the transfer stations.
There is a provision of per day penalty if operators dump garbage on surface layer. Also, it causes various pollution if garbage is dumped on soil.
TOI had on June 9 reported that AG Enviro continued to mix C&D waste and trunks and branches of uprooted trees with garbage. TOI had also highlighted the operator continued to dump garbage on surface layer right under the nose of NMC officials.
A visit on Sunday to Sahakar Nagar garbage transfer station of AG Enviro also revealed the same violations. Garbage was dumped on surface layer and a crane was loading garbage into dumpers for transport to Bhandewadi dumping yard. Cattle in large number were roaming around freely and eating garbage inside the station. Also, ragpickers without any protection were picking recyclable items from the garbage.