Pimpri Chinchwad waste segregation awareness cost rises from Rs 20.49 crore to Rs 108 crore

Questions are now being raised over the awareness drive on separating wet and dry waste launched by the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation. The original tender was worth Rs 20.49 crore, but repeated extensions have taken the spending on the work to Rs 108.18 crore. The drive was designed on the lines of Indore's waste management, with the aim that citizens hand over wet and dry waste separately.

Questions are now being asked about why the same contractors have continued for so long, why a new tender was delayed, and how much effect the campaign has actually had on the ground.

The corporation's health department began the tender process in October 2021. Private agencies from Indore and Pune were appointed to work in eight wards. The original contract value was Rs 20,49,50,920. The work was given to Basics Municipal Waste Ventures, Janwani, D'Vine and the All India Institute of Local Self-Government.

The idea was put forward in 2021 by the then municipal commissioner Rajesh Patil, who wanted to adopt some features of Indore's waste segregation system here. Four private agencies were initially appointed for two years to explain to citizens how to separate wet, dry and hazardous waste.

The original contract expired in November 2022. A new tender was expected after that. But the administration kept extending the existing contracts. The agencies were allowed to continue on the condition that a further extension would be considered if their performance was satisfactory.

According to sources, the contracts have been extended nine times so far, and work is now under way in the tenth extension. Total spending has reached Rs 108.18 crore. In the meantime, a new tender process was started, but it was eventually withdrawn after objections were raised.

Critics say the repeated extensions kept the same method running for years, yet there has been no clear public assessment of its impact. Extensions continued even after the administrator's tenure ended and elected representatives returned. This has raised the question of why the corporation could not complete a tender process and put a long-term arrangement in place.

The corporation pays these agencies Rs 24.15 per household every month for the awareness work. After such large spending, the administration is expected to give a clear account of the scope and results of the initiative. It should be known how many households were reached, what kind of awareness programmes were held and how often, what difference came about in citizens' habits of separating waste, and what measurable effect it had on the city's waste management. Without such information, it is hard to say whether the results match the money spent.

Another issue is whether waste is mixed again during collection. Citizens are asked to separate wet and dry waste before giving it to the collection vehicle. Keeping it separate during collection is the responsibility of the contractors' workers. But there are allegations that waste brought separately by citizens is sometimes dumped together into a single large container on the vehicle. If this is widespread, the purpose of teaching households to separate waste is defeated.

Responding to the criticism, Pradip Thengal, deputy commissioner in the corporation's health department, said the awareness programme is important and that the existing agencies were given extensions because the new tender process was not completed.

"It is important to create awareness among citizens about separating wet and dry waste. The new tender process could not be completed, so the agencies were given extensions from time to time. When the new tender for waste collection and transport is issued, the awareness component will also be part of it. Work is currently on in the extension that has been given," Thengal said.