Waste collection charges revised in Mohali
Penalty introduced for failing to segregate waste and littering; implementation soon, says mayor
The Punjab local bodies department has fixed new rates for door-to-door garbage collection in Mohali while also introducing penalties for failing to segregate waste and littering.
The new rates for residential properties range between ₹50 and ₹200 per month, depending upon the size of plot, and have been fixed as per the Solid Waste Management Rules 2016. The Mohali municipal corporation had earlier fixed the rates between ₹100 and ₹150 per month, which were notified in June this year.
The new user charges are also applicable on gatherings and processions in public places and range between ₹5,000 and ₹20,000. Charges for other properties have also been revised (see box).
Even as the MC had notified the previous rates in June, they were not implemented yet as garbage collection has been outsourced to private contractors, who don’t collect uniform charges.
CL Garg, president of the Confederation of Greater Mohali Residents’ Welfare Associations, the apex body of 65 RWAs, said: “There should be uniform rates, but those finalised are very high. The MC should also ensure that garbage collectors visit our properties regularly and segregate the waste at their end.”
Fine for failing to segregate wet and dry waste has been introduced for the first time in Mohali. It ranges between ₹250 to ₹2,000.
Even though Mohali slipped to 153rd rank in Swachh Survekshan earlier this year, the MC has not implemented waste segregation in all sectors. It is being done only in Phases 7, 9, 10 and 11.
MC commissioner Bhupinder Pal Singh said: “We have already started segregating waste in several areas of Mohali and will cover the whole city within a month. We are also urging people to segregate waste at source.”
Commenting on when the new rates and penalties will be implemented, mayor Kulwant Singh said: “We will follow the instructions of the local bodies department. As far as the implementation is concerned, I will hold a meeting with officers concerned to do it as soon as possible. The implementation is important as we are receiving several complaints about existing charges.”
