NOIDA steps up cleanliness drive, promises clean city by new year

The authority, after allocating a Rs 330 crore budget to achieve the target, has initiated tenders for a door-to-door garbage collection and disposal project. The officials have said that if things go well, residents will get a cleaner city in the new year.

According to officials, a total of four applications from consultants have been shortlisted. The concerned department in the process of scrutinising and examining the tender documents and finalisation of financial bid is likely to take place this week. “We are in the process to make city garbage-free. Several steps have been taken which will be announced soon,” said an official.

As per the plan, the authority has decided to allocate a budget of Rs 330 crore for mechanical sweeping and a waste collection-disposal project. The authority, which had started a special cleanliness drive from the first week of July, has promised a clean city. Officials said that the motive behind announcing mechanical sweeping and door-to-door waste management project is to make the city free from garbage.

“We have put the project on a fast-track. It will involve door-to-door collection of garbage as well as its segregation and disposal. 

“Once the plan is finalised, we will introduce as many as 80 stationery mechanised garbage compactors. In the first year, the selected agency will put into place 57 compactors and thereafter, every subsequent year five more compactors will be added. Currently, the city generates 600 to 800 tonne of Municipal and industrial waste every day. With the help of RWAs and local bodies, the authority has put in place mechanisms to deal with the garbage by hiring garbage collectors, who collect and dispose of it in a disorganised manner, leaving the city in a mess.  “Presently we have no proper mechanism for garbage collection, segregation and disposal. Lack of proper landfill site also adds to the woes. With expansion of area, the need of the hour is to work on a system that will ease the menace,” the official said.

Notably, the authority on July 4 had announced certain measures to make the city garbage-free. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Rama Raman, had said: “The authority has decided to conduct a massive drive for one month to clean the district”.  The Chairman has directed all project engineers to clean the drains as soon as possible. “It will be a 15-day campaign in which we would require help from NGOs, schools, colleges, and industrialists to make the district clean and healthy,” Raman had added.