TRICHY: In a significant step to streamline solid waste management (SWM) practice, Trichy corporation has floated a tender to identify a suitable agency with manpower and vehicles to collect waste generated in its 65 wards for three years. The agency will take over door-to-door waste collection in residential and commercial properties using battery-operated, light commercial and heavy commercial vehicles. The entire process will be directly monitored by the corporation.
The agency will have to develop a micro-management plan comprising details such as route chart to collect waste, allotment of vehicles separately to cover residential and commercial properties and deployment of sanitary workers in each ward. Although the SWM process is outsourced, Trichy corporation said it has the authority to levy penalties for service deficiency. Penalties ranging from Rs 100 to Rs 1,000 per occurrence will be levied from the agency by deducting it from the gross monthly payment to be made to it. Trichy corporation will appoint an official as observer to monitor, review and prepare a performance certificate every month with respect to the key performance indicator (KPI). Failure to provide substitute workers, causing delay in waste collection and failure to provide safety equipment to workers will attract penalties for the agency. The local body can also cancel the agreement if the service is poor.
The outsourcing agency must segregate the waste and transport it to the micro compost centres. Trichy corporation sources said the agency will be paid only based on the efficiency of waste collection coverage and quality of segregation. Around 1,180 sanitary workers, 59 sanitary supervisors and 251 drivers are tentatively required for the outsourced mode of waste collection from 2.7 lakh properties in Trichy city. One supervisor is to be appointed for every 20 sanitary workers and the activities of supervisors will be evaluated by the corporation’s performance officer.
Similarly, 208 battery-powered vehicles, 238 LCVs and 13 HCVs are estimated as requirements for the waste collection, a report by the local body said. Vehicles with the local body will be provided to the agency at concessional rent to collect waste too. The outsourcing plan is to be executed at Rs 62.8 crore. “Through outsourcing, we can introduce information technology such as GPS affixed trucks to enable monitoring and solutions for improving the service. The existing workforce will be completely utilised and incentives provided to best performing sanitary workers,” a senior corporation official said.
