To segregate waste in Chandigarh, two-bin system to begin from today

Green dustbins will be meant for disposing wet waste, dry waste will be thrown inthe blue dustbins.

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On the occasion of World Environment Day on Monday, the move will begin at the same time with UT Administrator V P Singh Badnore distributing it to five residents each at 11 am at Tagore Theatre. Simultaneously, the mayor and area councillors will also distribute the bins to residents of their ward at the respective community centres.

To initiate segregation of waste at the household level, the two-bin system in Chandigarh will begin from Monday. In the first phase, as many as one lakh coloured dustbins will be distributed to residents of each of the 26 wards.

There will be two types of dustbins — green and blue. Green dustbins will be meant for disposing of wet waste while dry waste will be thrown in the blue dustbins. About 1.5 lakh more dustbins will be purchased by June 25. All the 2.5 lakh dustbins of 12 litre capacity will cost the civic body about Rs 2.36 crore.

Other than this, 3,000 big dustbins of 40 litre capacity, which will be given to garbage collectors, will also be distributed. These have cost Rs 18 lakh.

Because Chandigarh did not have segregation at source, this was one of the parameters where the city lost in the Swachh Survekshan survey. Chandigarh’s ranking was 11 this time while it was second last year.

Mayor Asha Jaswal said that they were educating particularly women on the segregation at the source level.
“Because women handle the household work, so we are educating them about the dustbins. I agree it will take some time, but I am sure Chandigarh would be the first city to adopt this segregation quickly,” Mayor Jaswal said.

She added, “In the evening, all the councillors will be distributing the dustbins at community centre while informing about the residents about the importance of the segregation.”

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Although the MC will be involving garbage collectors in this move, they are not sure if the latter will cooperate fully. The garbage collectors have been resisting the move as they do not want to function under the Municipal Corporation.

MC has been under constant fire for unclean environment. The councillors had told the mayor that the Swachh Bharat Mission was a flop show as garbage was not being lifted.

The proposal for segregation of garbage at source level has been there for the last many years. Even during the term of the then Municipal Commissioner Bhawna Garg, who had visited Coimbatore with the then Joint Commissioner Rajiv Gupta, she had pressed for the segregation at source level. However, it was never implemented.

Hina Rohtaki

Hina Rohtaki is a Special Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in Chandigarh. She is one of the most prominent journalists covering the Chandigarh Administration, civic issues, and the unique political status of the Union Territory. Professional Background Experience: She has been in the field for over a decade and is known for her investigative reporting on administrative waste and urban governance. Awards: She is a recipient of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award, which was presented to her by the President of India in January 2020. She was also awarded the Jethmalani prize (The Will of Steel Awards) in 2025 in the Empowerment category for a series of articles that highlighted the struggles of Covid widows. Core Beat: Her primary focus is the Chandigarh administrative structure, the Union Territory's financial management, and urban development projects. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent work highlights a focus on government accountability, administrative expenditures, and civic trends: 1. Investigative & Financial Reporting "Fuelling power: Senior UT IAS officers guzzled petrol worth Rs 30 lakh in 2 yrs" (Dec 14, 2025): An investigative report detailing the high fuel bills of top bureaucrats, including the Finance Secretary and Chief Secretary’s staff. "Admn spends Rs 1.5 crore on dismantling road railings and fixing again after increasing height" (Dec 8, 2025): Highlighting administrative waste on "non-viable" solutions for pedestrian control. "Chandigarh’s finances under ministry’s watch now" (Nov 27, 2025): Reporting on the new requirement for MHA approval for all new projects in the UT. 2. Governance & Constitutional Status "What will it mean for Chandigarh if it is brought under Article 240?" (Nov 24, 2025): An "Explained" piece on the potential constitutional shift that would grant the President more power over the UT's governance. "MP Manish Tewari moves Bill seeking directly elected Mayor with 5-year tenure" (Dec 6, 2025): Covering the legislative push to reform Chandigarh's municipal leadership structure. "No proposal to increase Mayor's term in Chandigarh by 5 years: Centre" (Dec 10, 2025): Reporting on the Union government's response to demands for a longer mayoral term. 3. Urban Infrastructure & Environment "Chandigarh admn cuts power to India's tallest air purifier, asks firm to dismantle it" (Nov 17, 2025): A critical report on the failure of a high-cost environmental project deemed "of no use" by experts. "UT rethinks 24/7 water supply project as costs soar" (Nov 26, 2025): Detailing the financial challenges and delays in modernizing the city's water network. "Centre 'obfuscating, covering up' MC's shifting deadlines for clearing Dadu Majra dump" (Dec 12, 2025): Reporting on the ongoing controversy surrounding the city's major waste dump. 4. Lifestyle & Local Trends "Chandigarh turns into a Thar city as women fuel the surge" (Dec 2, 2025): A feature on a unique automotive trend in the city, with a record 600 registrations by women drivers this year. "After fivefold spike in 2023, EV sales struggle to pick pace in Chandigarh" (Dec 2, 2025): Analyzing the slowdown in electric vehicle adoption despite previous surges. Signature Beat Hina is known for her meticulous tracking of RTI (Right to Information) data to expose administrative inefficiency. Her "Ground Zero" reporting on the Dadu Majra garbage dump and her scrutiny of the Chandigarh Smart City projects have made her a key figure in the city’s civil society discourse. X (Twitter): @HinaRohtaki ... Read More

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