The Indian Express   01.08.2012

‘Crippling shortage of garbage compactors’

After the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) failed to award
fresh contracts for collecting garbage across the city, there is now a
crippling shortage of almost 300 collection trucks, admitted senior
officials on Tuesday.

Additional Municipal Commissioner Rajeev Jalota, while assuring
corporators that all problems will be ironed out in the next fortnight,
said the city is facing a deficit of almost 300 garbage collection
vehicles. He blamed “technical problems” for the delayed tendering
process and the subsequent delay in awarding new contracts.

The previous contracts, in force from June 1, 2007, expired on May 31 this year.“All garbage issues in Mumbai’s 24 wards will be sorted out by
August 14. Mumbai produces 6,500 tonnes of garbage daily. Of the total
number of vehicles plying for collection, 30 per cent are supplied by
the BMC and the remaining are rented vehicles supplied by the
contractors.

At present, there is a shortage of contracted vehicles, so we
have hired 257 dumpers and 40 JCBs to fill the gap,” said Jalota at the
BMC general body meeting.

Among the reasons for delays in the tendering process, the
Additional Municipal Commissioner also cited the problem of procuring
Euro IV vehicles.

According to a 2010 Supreme Court order, all garbage compactors
must be upgraded to Euro IV. “These vehicles are not easily available as
suppliers do not stock them. We requested the Bombay High Court to give
us some time to acquire these. We have been granted an extension till
June 2013 to ply Euro III garbage vehicles. Tata Motors is in the
process of manufacturing the vehicles and should meet the supply in the
next six to eight months,” said Jalota.

 He added that to tide over the delay, existing contracts were
extended by 45 days since the end of May. However, Anthony Waste
Handling Cell, which was awarded the contract for garbage collection in
10 of the 24 wards, is unable to supply as many vehicles as needed.

“Since the contract ended on May 31, from supplying 90 per cent
of the total number of rented vehicles, the contractor now supplies only
65 per cent because they are facing a deficit. The supply problem
should be solved soon,” said Jalota. He admitted that Zone 6, which
constitutes Ghatkopar, Mulund and Bhandup, are worst affected by the
backlog.