Srinagar goes bin-free, waste collection process to start during wee hours

Srinagar, Apr 16: Aiming to create Srinagar city as litter-free and dust-bin-free, Srinagar Municipal Corporation is focusing on collecting waste from each and every household in all wards at their doorsteps.
Ward officers have been strictly directed to ensure their wards are bin-free. They are bound to face the music if anywhere any dustbin is found in their ward.
Sources said that field staff has been directed to collect garbage from every household starting from 6:30 in the morning, an order which has not gone down well with those involved in the garbage collection process.
“Without creating awareness among people you can’t knock at their door during wee hours asking them to hand over their bins,” said a sanitation worker.
Another worker claimed that some people virtually abused and tried to assault a sanitation worker in Fathekadal area of Srinagar city when he emerged during wee hours for garbage collection purpose.
“It’s important to create civic sense through awareness and get people mentally prepared. Entering into a locality at 6:30 is really a difficult job,” said a Sanitation Supervisor.
“Commissioner Srinagar Municipal Corporation, Athar Aamir Khan recently interacted with the field workers and passed on certain instructions with regard to 100% door-to-door waste collection and created an awareness on the collection of dry and wet waste separately,” said an official who admitted that field staff will initially face some problems but with the passage of time, people will cooperate with them.
Commissioner has even asked field staff to carry a public address system with them and announce their arrival in every locality during the wee hours.
SMC has procured 100 new Hopper vehicles to collect garbage from every ward of the city. These Hopper vehicles have been distributed among ward officers as per the requirement. “I got three hoppers while Hyderpora ward got 5. A lot has changed in SMC. Even sweepers have been directed to broom the roads and streets during wee hours,” a ward officer said on condition of anonymity.
An employee from SMC’s IT Section informed that the General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) tracking system has been fitted in every hopper and compactor. “Through this system we are able to track location information and vital vehicle statistics,” he said adding that a hopper driver is supposed to visit at least 600 households a day for the waste collection.
The ward officers have also been asked to do away with the system of garbage collection points. “There are strict orders from the Commissioner to unload the garbage from hoppers, load it in compactors and dump it at Achan Dumping Site,”
Several initiatives have been taken to keep Srinagar clean and develop it on modern lines ahead of G20 meeting that is likely to take place in Srinagar. However, it is to be seen, whether the administration will exhibit the same passion and work with zeal and zest after the culmination of much-hyped G20 meeting. [KNT]