SHIMLA:  The capital city has India’s oldest civic body- Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC). Racing against time, SMC is still drowning in its own garbage crisis.

Shimla one an average produces over 45 tonnes of waste daily. But the city is struggling to find effective waste management practices.   

The  recent spells of rains have exposed  the waste crisis in the city and other places when mounds of garbage got spilled all over the roads, streets and nallahs. 

Residents have witnessed the CPM-led SMC corporation headed by Mayor Sanjay Chauhan and Deputy Mayor Tikender Singh Panwar.

But the “comrades” failed to put the effective garbage management practices in place as they also failed to put their “theoretical talks” into practice on the ground zero.

Then came the BJP-led SMC body led by Mayor Kusum Sadret and Satya Thakur, they also played a “hide and seek” and could not find a lasting solution to the Garbage crisis in the city.      

Dumping trash into city nallahs and hill slopes has become an all too familiar sight, highlighting the urgent need for a solution. Peep down into the HP Lift Nala in the city Centre and you find a picture of the Shimla waste management.

Congress has dominated the SMC over the years, it had also failed to Shimla neat and clean except the City Center- The Mall, The Ridge.

Again Congress is back on command of the City affairs and the state affairs. With this the SMC has been out to fresh test now as to how it deals with the garbage crisis in most of 34 wards  in the city as none of bodies could develop is culture of cleanliness in the city.

Shimla Mayor Surender Chauhan has announced the Intrediate halt to the dumping of waste in rivers, streams, and rivulets across the state.

The court has also directed municipal bodies to ensure the proper segregation and collection of waste in towns, and to collect garbage at least thrice a day in a week.

SMC is now resuming waste segregation at the source itself. This vital step aims to streamline waste management practices and put an end to the chaotic garbage situation.

The gravity of the situation is evident as the Himachal Pradesh State Legal Services Authority steps in, launching a campaign to collect, transport, and dispose of garbage scientifically. The involvement of all stakeholders, including SMC and the citizens, is crucial to achieve the desired results and clean up the city as a whole.

However, the journey towards effective waste management has been far from smooth. Previous administrations failed to uphold waste segregation practices, leaving the system in disarray. Under the leadership of Shimla Mayor Surender Chauhan, citizens are now urged to follow the instructions and hand over segregated waste to authorized door-to-door garbage collectors on designated days.

Mayor Chauhan has sought donation of old books, clothes, shoes, plastic, and toys at the RRR Centre. This not only aids waste management but also uplifts the socio-economic status of the needy urban poor, he added.

Starting July 17, 2023, the waste segregation rules come into effect. Door-to-door garbage collectors will now collect segregated waste in designated color-coded bags on specific days.

Wet waste, including food scraps, fruit and vegetable waste, tea bags, and fallen leaves, will be collected in green bags on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Dry waste, consisting of plastic, metal, paper, and other dry items, will be collected in blue bags on Tuesdays and Fridays.

To ensure efficient waste disposal, the SMC will transport the collected waste from households and commercial establishments to the waste-generated power plant using dedicated vehicles.

However, if garbage is not handed over in the designated forms, the garbage collectors will refuse to pick it up.

But the residents retorted that the SMC has not made arrangements for the two  dustbins for waste segregation. There is no proper sensitisation campaign as mandated by the HP state legal services authority.   

The message is clear: Shimla needs a collective effort to overcome its waste crisis. The Municipal Corporation appeals to the citizens to actively participate in waste segregation and utilize the RRR Centre for donations. It's time to make a change and restore Shimla's natural beauty while improving the lives of the urban poor.