Non-collection of waste for 10 days, patients suffer

Aurangabad: Though the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has allowed home isolation of asymptomatic patients as per central government’s guidelines, those opting for this option in zone 6 are having a tough time owing to non-collection of waste from their homes.

The solid waste management team of the AMC has worked consistently amid the Covid-19 pandemic towards collection and transportation of waste. But reports are emerging from certain areas about irregular collection and waste management. According to residents of zone 6, the daily collection of waste in the area has been severely affected since last one month.

Activist Rahul Ingle of Shahar Parivartan Aghadi said that for the past 10 days waste is not being picked from households in Cidco N-3 and N-4. “Repeated complaints to concerned officials have not borne any result. The households from where positive cases are emerging are suffering as waste is rotting inside their homes,” he said.

The responsibility of collecting door-to-door waste from across the city, except zone 6, is being carried out by an agency called P Gopinath Reddy. From May 1, the agency was handed over the task to collect waste from zone 6 as well, but the agency expressed its inability to carry out the service.

Subsequently, another contractor was roped in to deploy vehicles for waste collection in zone 6. Using these vehicles the AMC staff are currently carrying out waste collection in zone 6.

Zone 6 sanitation inspector Sunil Dabhade said that the AMC is ensuring that the waste collection doesn’t get interrupted even as there is a shift of responsibility.

“Sometimes, due to the barricades put up to contain localities with active cases prevent our vehicles to enter the lane. However, we blow the horn and whistle to let the residents know that the vehicle has arrived and they can come and dump their waste,” he said.