Guwahati: Garbage Collection rate hiked by Rupees 20

GUWAHATI: The Guwahati Municipal Corporation has proposed raising the garbage collection fee from Rs 30 to Rs 50 per month. Residents of the city will see a Rs 20 increase. The money is currently collected by NGOs hired by GMC to collect garbage on its behalf. 

Mayor Mrigen Sarania stated on Monday that the increase in the monthly garbage collection rate is the first in 14 years. The Mayor and Deputy Mayor Smita Roy visited several areas of the city to inspect municipality employees and the work done in the Uzan Bazar locality. 

"In 2006, we decided on Rs 30 for a month of garbage collection. That is one rupee per day for taking away one packet of domestic garbage. Now what we are going to do is, we have proposed to charge Rs 50. It will include sweeping of roads as well. So there is this increase of Rs 20. To people it will be just one rupee and seventy-eighty paise per day. Compared to what they spend on betel nuts, gutka every day it's not a big deal. Till now people have been willingly giving the money. But there are some who neither paid before, nor are they paying now. We urge them to pay and request that they don't litter the streets with garbage,”

Sarania, the mayor, also speaks on the irregularities of the employees. "The employees, approximately 80-90 in number, are expected to report for duty at 7 a.m. For greater efficiency, we divide them into wards. Today, however, it is clear that they arrived late for duty. They arrive for duty around 10 a.m., which is unacceptable”.

Mrigen Sarania also urged people to sort their trash to make it easier to process. "If we can collect the garbage from homes, and in a segregated manner, it will help everyone. The wet garbage will be used for making fertilizer, and dry garbage will be recycled. We expect the residents of Guwahati to cooperate with the municipal corporation on this front”.

"People are ready to give this increased Rs 20. For them it's not a matter. Residents have told us that they don't mind giving money but they want the city clean,” added Mrigen Sarania.