The Municipal Corporation on Thursday had to cut a sorry figure in front of residents during the dustbin distribution drive. The drive was started with pomp and show in the morning when Mayor Harcharan Singh Gohalwaria along with A2Z vice-president B S Chouhan and MC Commissioner Shruti Singh gathered in front of Zone D MC office in Sarabha Nagar and started distribution of two dustbins — green and blue — for segregation of waste as biodegradable and non-biodegradable. However, at first home only, the mayor raised an objection to the quality and size of dustbins provided by A2Z, the company hired by the MC for waste disposal. “The dustbins are too small. It’s not possible to collect a day’s waste in them. Even the iron handles are rusted,” he said in front of all, leaving A2Z fuming. He asked the A2Z officials to stop the distribution and replace dustbins within two days. The plan to distribute two dustbins was chalked out in February 2013 when A2Z proposed to collect garbage in two bags — blue and green. While blue was to have non-biodegradable waste, green was meant for biodegradable one. However, after the mayor cried foul over the size and quality of dustbins, A2Z said that “earlier MC had approved the same size”. Talking to Newsline, B S Chouhan, vice-president of A2Z in Ludhiana, said, “As per contract signed with MC, we had to provide 3,20,000 dustbins. MC has approved size of 10 litres which were brought for residents today and now mayor is saying they are small. They should have checked samples earlier. We have got a Central grant of Rs 90 per dustbin (approximately Rs 2.8 crore) and now extra funds have to be arranged if they want bigger ones. We have to sit with them and discuss it all over again.” As a symbolic gesture, A2Z distributed dustbins to around 50 homes on Thursday, said Chouhan. A S Sekhon, joint commissioner and head of health branch, MC, said: “No doubt we agreed on size of 10 litres dustbins in detailed project report but today we felt that in posh areas like Sarabha Nagar waste generation is more. Thus we are asking A2Z to provide bigger ones in posh localities.”
