PNS | DEHRADUN
Garbage collection resumed in 47 municipal wards of Dehradun after a gap of three days on Thursday. The drivers and helpers of the Watergrace Company had suspended the door to door garbage collection for three days due to non-payment of salaries. The disruption affected nearly 40,000 households between January 27 and 29 that caused inconvenience to residents.
The Municipal Corporation of Dehradun (MCD) has selected a new company to handle waste collection in these wards as the old agency reportedly failed to work efficiently despite several verbal and legal warnings. However, before the company could officially take charge, its drivers and helpers refused to work due to unpaid salaries for December. This led to a complete halt in garbage collection in these areas for three days that resulted in mounting waste piles and sanitation issues.
The deputy municipal commissioner Rajvir Chauhan told The Pioneer that the MCD intervened and held discussions with the company’s officials and instructed them to clear all outstanding dues of the employees. They have assured to clear all dues soon. Following these talks, the workers agreed to resume waste collection services on Thursday that restored normalcy in the affected wards, he said.
It is pertinent to mention here that proper disposal of garbage continues to be one of the major challenges being experienced in the provisional State capital Dehradun. Various attempts by the authorities to ensure effective waste management appear to meet roadblocks at times while other factors including lack of civic sense continue to affect the efficiency of the system.
