PANCHKULA: To tackle the increasing issue of construction and demolition (C&D) waste dumped across Panchkula, the municipal corporation has developed a detailed management plan.
The corporation is in the process of hiring an agency tasked with the loading, collection, transportation, and unloading of the waste at a designated site in Jalouli village, responding to complaints from both bulk and non-bulk waste generators based on predetermined charges.
The agency will handle public complaints and collect waste from various locations in the city. The total estimated cost of the contract is Rs 2.13 crore for one year, with the city generating about 62 tonnes of C&D waste annually.
Residents who produce small amounts of C&D waste must register a request for collection or processing, either online or by phone. Timely payment of required fees is necessary to utilize the agency’s door-to-door collection service.
Builders and large construction projects, categorized as bulk waste generators, must submit separate registration requests and ensure that waste is not left unattended for more than 48 hours. After payment, the agency is required to initiate collection within 24 hours, and builders have the option to process waste on-site or use the official door-to-door service.
The civic body plans to carry out a city-wide survey to estimate waste generation and will announce official disposal points, with Jalouli village already identified as the primary site. Currently, a boundary wall is being constructed around the site.
The contractor is required to establish a call center, GPS dashboard, and a mobile app for residents to request pickups daily from 8 AM to 8 PM. Engineers will monitor waste hot spots every 15 days. Following a request, the municipal corporation must assess the waste within 48 hours and ensure pickup within 24 hours of payment. Monthly review meetings will be conducted with the contractor, and penalties for non-compliance will be strictly enforced.
Penalties may be imposed on the contractor for service failures, such as delays, improper dumping, uncovered transport vehicles, malfunctioning GPS, or staff lacking appropriate safety gear. Fines can range from Rs 500 to Rs 10,000, depending on the infraction. Poor performance in Swachh Survekshan assessments may result in additional financial penalties or a two-year ban from future tenders.
“We attempted this about a year and a half ago but faced obstacles. This time, the request for proposals has been developed by the urban local bodies of Haryana, based on which bids have been solicited. Once we successfully eliminate this waste from the city, our next goal will be processing it. By crushing the C&D waste, we aim to produce bricks or interlocking paver blocks in the near future,” an MC official told TOI.
