The Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) plans to introduce automatic sweeping machines by the end of March, aiming to alleviate the burden of sanitation operations. However, despite this initiative, the solid waste department is moving to expand the existing contract for private sanitation workers instead of reducing their numbers.
The department intends to increase the number of cleaning staff at major locations in the city, leading to a review of the previous contract for 900 employees instead of 700. This decision raises questions about the effectiveness of spending ₹33 crore on automatic sweeping machines if a tender worth ₹100 crore is being conducted to appoint additional employees.
With Nashik's population exceeding 22 lakh, urban areas have expanded, resulting in increased waste generation. Despite acquiring four automatic brooms, the number of private sanitation workers is set to rise to 900 instead of decreasing as expected. This increase will escalate the contract amount.
To justify the decision, plans include including additional locations such as 84 municipal schools, eight swimming pools, Mahakavi Kalidas Kalamandir, Karmaveer Dadasaheb Gaikwad Auditorium, and several large halls in the cleaning operations. This decision stems from the municipal corporation's financial situation, with the contract value likely to rise to ₹100 crore.
The decision to expand the sanitation contract alongside the introduction of automatic sweeping machines raises concerns about resource efficiency and utilisation by the NMC.
