GUWAHATI, Dec 5 - Non-governmental organisations (NGO), which collect garbage from the doorsteps of the people on behalf of the Guwahati Municipal Corporation, have opposed the move of the corporation to make collection of monthly user charges from the households and commercial establishments by the NGOs mandatory. The corporation is not going to provide any funds for doorstep garbage collection to the NGOs from now on.
There are 90 NGOs in the 31 wards of the city. GMC Commissioner Ghanshyam Dass on Friday called a meeting and informed the NGOs about the new rule to be implemented soon. However, most of the NGOs opposing the decision said that the NGOs will have to operate at a loss with the new rule. �It would turn the whole affair into a losing business. More than 50 per cent of the households and 90 per cent commercial establishments of the city do not pay the monthly user charges. So, in this situation it will become difficult for us to continue the work,� a member of an NGO who was present at the meeting said.
�Many NGOs have already submitted a letter to the Commissioner mentioning that they are going to discontinue garbage collection work if the decision is not withdrawn immediately,� he added. However, some of the NGOs collect the user charges from the people and the GMC also provides a hefty amount to the NGOs every month for garbage collection.
The NGOs use tricycles, thelas, hydraulic-mounted trailer auto tippers, etc., for the collection of household and commercial establishment�s wastes. Guwahati city generates 550 tonnes of solid wastes daily.
Another member of an NGO said that during the meeting the Commissioner also assured the NGOs of releasing the pending amounts soon.
It was also announced in the meeting that the city street bins will be removed soon in a bid to keep them free of garbage.
When contacted, the GMC Commissioner Ghanshaym Dass said that most of the NGOs have accepted it. He said that the rule is only to make the whole system run on a self-sustainable mode.
