KDMC deputy commissioner gives Sumit Elco 48 hours after surprise check on garbage in Dombivli ward
Piles of waste in Ward 27 prompted an inspection by Dr Ramdas Kokare; BJP corporators want the private contractor's contract cancelled.
Poor garbage management in Ward 27 of the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation came to light when Dr Ramdas Kokare, deputy commissioner of the solid waste management department, made a surprise visit there. For the past seven to eight days, the garbage problem had grown serious in Tilaknagar, Pathardi, Ambikanagar and Gograswadi. Residents had been complaining of heaps of garbage in many places.
Sanitation in the area has been assigned to the company Sumit Elco. Local residents and BJP corporators allege that the company is not working the way it should. Several complaints have emerged: sanitation workers do not wear uniforms, staff are not deployed properly, it is unclear which worker is responsible for which area, and garbage is not collected on time.
Against this background, Dr Kokare carried out a surprise inspection of the ward after a request from BJP corporators. For about an hour and a half to two hours, he visited different areas and assessed them on the spot. It was brought to his notice that in some places there were no workers present to clear and sort the garbage. The workers concerned were then called in and he held discussions with the company's manager.
After the inspection, Sumit Elco was given a 48-hour ultimatum to remove the shortcomings in garbage management and improve its work. The company was directed to collect the ward's garbage regularly, deploy sanitation workers properly and streamline the cleaning system.
Meanwhile, the BJP corporators have demanded that the municipal administration cancel Sumit Elco's contract. According to them, conditions were much better earlier, when the corporation's own sanitation workers did the cleaning. They allege that complaints of garbage accumulation have increased since the work went to a private company.
The corporators also said that in some housing societies garbage is not picked up on time, so residents have to be asked to keep it at home for some time. They expressed fear that this could raise a public health concern.
The ward's BJP corporators have demanded that Sumit Elco's contract be terminated and that sanitation be run through the corporation as before. They said they will raise the issue at the upcoming general body meeting as well.
