PMC to engage private players for solid waste management in merged villages
At present, the merged villages lack a proper waste processing and disposal system and the PMC does not have adequate infrastructure to handle the additional waste
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) solid waste management department has decided to allow private companies to handle the collection and transportation of solid waste in the merged villages of Sus, Mhalunge, Bavdhan Budruk and Kondhve Dhavde. These companies will also be responsible for the scientific processing and disposal of waste for a period of three years.
In 2017, the state government integrated 11 villages with the PMC followed by the integration of another 23 villages in 2021, thereby enlarging the PMC’s reach while increasing its waste management load by around 250 tonnes daily. Of these villages, Phursungi and Uruli Devachi have been excluded from the PMC limits. At present, the merged villages lack a proper waste processing and disposal system and the PMC does not have adequate infrastructure to handle the additional waste.
Hence, the civic body has decided to let private players handle the collection, segregation, transportation and scientific processing of solid waste in Sus, Mhalunge, Bavdhan Budruk and Kondhve Dhavde. The contractors will also be responsible for scientific processing and disposal of waste for three years. The PMC will pay fees to the contractors for handling these activities. At present, the said villages generate around 60 tonnes of solid waste every day.
Sandeep Kadam, head of the solid waste department, PMC, said, “We don’t have enough manpower and machinery to set up a solid waste system in the merged villages. Therefore, we have invited private players to establish the system, and PMC will give only the tipping fee per tonne of solid waste to the private player to run the solid waste system. It will be based on the tipping fee calculation. The private player will have to set up its own system. For these four villages, we have called for tenders to set up a proper solid waste system.”
“At present, we have a proper mechanism to collect, segregate, transport and process waste in the city area. In the merged areas however, it will take time to set up the PMC’s own systems such as manpower, processing plant, transportation system etc. Therefore, we will give a three-year period to the private players to set up and run these systems in the villages,” Kadam said.
The contractors will be responsible for daily collection and transportation of municipal solid waste from the merged villages of Sus, Mhalunge, Bavdhan Budruk, and Kondhve Dhavde. The contractors will also be responsible for processing the waste at their own facilities/plants and ensure scientific processing and disposal of byproducts as per pollution board norms. If contractors fail to handle 80% of the expected monthly waste, a 10% penalty on the tipping fee will be levied for the shortfall. Additionally, a 10% penalty on the tipping fee will be levied per instance if the contractors fail to provide the required equipment for waste collection and transportation. Complaints about services must be addressed within six hours and failure to do so will result in a ₹1,000 per day penalty per complaint. If defaults persist for more than 10 days, the PMC may terminate the private company’s contract.
