Haryana sets up panel to review waste management costs in civic bodies

Gurgaon: The Urban Local Bodies (ULB) department resolved to standardise the cost estimates for waste management contracts across all municipal corporations in the state. The department noticed inconsistencies in the estimates put forward by different corporations for their waste management proposals. To tackle this issue, they have established a 10-member committee, including Sachin Gupta and Ayush Sinha, commissioners of Ambala and Yamunanagar municipal corporations, respectively, along with other ULB officers. The contracts encompass door-to-door collection, segregation, transportation, and waste processing. The team will review and assess project estimates and provide recommendations for the final estimation format templates, drawing from their practical experience. Bringing uniformity in the rates is significant, as instances have emerged where identical contractors charge excessive amounts for waste management operations across different Haryana municipalities. "This represents a crucial measure, as certain contractors take advantage of different local govts by imposing excessive fees in one jurisdiction while providing identical services at reduced costs in neighbouring areas. The practice of price disparity across municipalities needs careful monitoring to prevent such financial exploitation," said an MCG official privy to the matter. "Various queries are being received from ULBs regarding the estimates for the above-mentioned works, and considering the discrepancies observed in the estimates submitted by different ULBs, it has been decided to constitute a committee to provide inputs on draft estimation formats," read the ULB order that was issued recently. "The committee shall review and analyse the practical rate estimation for door-to-door collection, transportation, and processing of MSW; provide recommendations on the final draft of estimation formats based on practical field experience; ensure uniformity in the rate analysis methodology for all ULBs," the order said further. The ULB also modified its tender specifications for waste management services across the state, extending the contract from five to seven years. The revised scope encompasses door-to-door waste collection, segregation, and transportation of municipal solid waste to processing facilities.