Always in the news mostly for the wrong reasons, the multi-crore garbage lifting work doled out to private contractors by the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) is once again drawing flak for flouting solid waste management rules while posing threat to pedestrians and motorists by transporting garbage in rickety and unfit garbage trucks.
The matter came to light after the traffic control unit of the Mira Bhayandar-Vasai Virar Police Commissionerate conducted a special drive in which several rickety garbage vans were caught without documents including valid fitness certificates, while some were found plying on roads without number plates.
“It was our regular drive in which several garbage transporting vehicles were caught violating rules,” confirmed Senior Police Inspector (Traffic) Shekhar Dombe. The action followed in response to complaints filed by Yuva Sena leader Pawan Vinayak Gharat.
Photo by Azim Tamboli
“Despite expiry of fitness certificates in 2016, these vehicles which are still transporting garbage are proving to be killers on road. The MBMC should withhold the payments of the contractor and put the company in blacklist,” said Gharat.
“ We have been issuing notices to the contractor. Strict action will be taken if he refuses to mend his ways,” said deputy civic chief Dr Sambhajji Panpatte.
The MBMC had inked a five year contract with Global Waste Management Company in 2012, to lift garbage from the twin-city and ferry it to the Uttan dump yard. While the agency has been on-extension mode since the expiry of the tender in 2017, the actual groundwork is being done by a politically backed cartel of local sub-contractors on the virtue of around 126 vehicles including compactors, tippers and trucks to lift and ferry garbage. However, a large number of these vehicles are in a rickety condition.
Photo by Azim Tamboli
The MBMC officials are just trying to kill time as plans have been worked out to phase out the old vehicles to pave way for new self-owned ones in coming months, sources said.
