In a significant move to address the city's persistent garbage crisis, the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation (MC) has announced a plan to install new waste compactors at seven additional locations. This decision comes as the existing machinery is overloaded, leading to uncollected waste piling up outside disposal sites across the city.
Expanding Infrastructure to Tackle Overload
The civic authorities have identified the need for one new compactor station in each of the city's seven constituencies. While the exact sites are still being finalized, the process has been set in motion. The total estimated cost for this project is nearly Rs 4 crore. According to MC Executive Engineer Arvind Kumar, the tenders for the necessary civil construction work have already been floated. The purchase of the compactors themselves will follow once the building work commences.
The plan involves constructing dedicated buildings to house the compactors at each location. Only after this infrastructure is ready will the number of machines required per site be determined, and tenders for the machinery will be issued. This step-by-step approach aims to ensure proper setup and management, a lesson learned from past shortcomings.
Chronic Issues with Current System
The introduction of compactors in Ludhiana began with the first unit installed near Dugri Chowk in 2016. Subsequently, the Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT) and the Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA) set them up at 10 spots, followed by the MC at 22 locations. However, the system has been plagued by operational failures and poor management.
Daily scenes of long queues of garbage collection vehicles waiting at compactor sites have become common. Several key problems have been identified:
- Unfixed timings for household garbage collection lead to chaotic arrivals at sites.
- Waste arrives in a mixed state (wet and dry), defeating the purpose of segregation.
- The existing machinery is insufficient to handle the volume, causing delays.
- Hook loaders transporting waste from compactors to the main landfill on Tajpur Road are often overburdened.
Site-Specific Failures Highlight Need for Careful Planning
The compactor at Books Market has been dysfunctional for a long time because the authorities could not raise the height of low-hanging electricity wires at its entrance. Another site near the Jawahar Nagar camp, installed by LIT, suffers from a severe space crunch, preventing the installation of adequate machinery and resulting in garbage being perpetually scattered on the roadside.
These examples underscore the need for meticulous site selection and infrastructure preparation in the new plan. The MC's latest initiative is not just about adding more machines but also about learning from past mistakes to create a more efficient waste management ecosystem. The success of this Rs 4 crore project hinges on addressing these foundational issues to ensure the new compactors actually alleviate the city's garbage burden rather than adding to the list of failed installations.
