With poor infra, Chandigarh MC bats for garbage-free five star rating status

Aiming for a clean Chandigarh, the municipal corporation (MC) has started the process to achieve the garbage-free five star rating status and will table an agenda during the House meeting on September 16.

The status is accorded by the Centre to municipal bodies who have streamlined their waste management system.

Even though the MC is ready to table the proposal but getting five-star rating is highly unlikely at this stage given that the civic body is nowhere near in fulfilling the necessary conditions required.

As per the Centre’s norms, Chandigarh needs to be perfect in 10 parameters of waste management to get the rating. However, the MC is still struggling to achieve segregated waste collection, scientific waste processing, a robust citizen redressal system, clean drains and water bodies besides use of recycled waste.

 Importance of the rating

The Centre has linked the five-star rating with Swachh Survekshan survey. To achieve the top ranking, it is important for civic body to get a higher star rating otherwise its dream for a top slot in the survey will not be achieved next year as well.

This year the city fell from third to 20th rank in the survey. One of the prime reasons was that it managed only 500 (40%) out of 1,250 in the star rating certification category since its rating was just two stars due to poor waste management system.  

Mayor Rajesh Kalia, however, said, “Several infrastructure initiatives are in pipeline and we will soon improve the waste management system.”

However RWAs say till the time MC is unable to upgrade functioning of private waste collectors and achieve successfully ferrying of the segregated waste from houses to processing plant, things will not improve.

Reality check 

Drains and water bodies need to be clean.

Existing dumping site needs to be levelled.

There is still no door-to-door collection in slum colonies and markets.

100% segregation of garbage at household level is a non-starter.

Only one time sweeping in public and commercial areas.

Lack of twin bins (blue and green) at every 50-100 meters in public areas

Overloaded open bins in periphery and other mainstream sectors is an eyesore.

Processing plant is unable to process 100% waste, however, C&D plant is functional.

Multiple portals of grievance redressal in MC but no provision for accountability on officers for delay in redressal

It will take two-three years for MC to clear five lakh tonnes of garbage accumulated on dumping site in Dadumajra