Oct. 21: The Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) will levy three different rates of fees — depending on the income of the payer — for the door-to-door collection of garbage to be introduced across the city from October 29.

A source in the GMC said a monthly fee of Rs 10 will be collected from each household in the slums, Rs 15 from low-income group families and Rs 50 from middle class and affluent families as user charge for the service.

“The user charge for commercial establishments, which generate most of the garbage, will be fixed within the next couple of days, after which the GMC will issue an official notification,” the source said.

This is the first time garbage collection is being introduced simultaneously throughout the city.

The official said the below poverty line (BPL) families will be considered as low-income families. “Such families will have to submit evidence like a certificate issued by a competent authority such as the district administration to substantiate their claim as a BPL family,” he said. He said the door-to-door collection would be introduced after chief minister Tarun Gogoi inaugurated the integrated solid waste management project at Rabindra Bhawan at 11am on October 29.

As a prelude to the integrated project, the Infrastructure Development Corporation of Assam Limited (IDCAL), a joint venture company of Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) and Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services (ILFS), has already implemented a pilot project on door-to-door garbage collection through NGOs.

The pilot project covered 2,000 households in Uzan Bazar, Chenikuthi and Silpukhuri. “Roadshows will also be held to demonstrate street sweeping and lifting of garbage using modern equipment and vehicles by Ramky Enviro Engineers. Then, the Hyderabad-based Ramky will take over the task of municipal solid waste disposal from the GMC from October 29,” the official said.

Dispur has selected Ramky as its private partner to execute the Rs 102-crore project.

According to the agreement between Dispur and Ramky, the state government will contribute Rs 35 crore, sanctioned by the Centre under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, and the remaining amount will be invested by the private partner.

Ramky Enviro Engineers Ltd, which is a subsidiary company of the Ramky Group, will take care of collection, transportation and processing of municipal solid waste in the city.

The GMC official said hopefully the project would make the city look cleaner and ensure that garbage does not litter the streets and drains.

On the day the project will be inaugurated, Ramky will also start construction of the proposed 6MW solid waste-to-power plant at Boragaon, which will take around 18 months for completion.

“Till the power plant is ready, Ramky will dispose solid waste by the land filling process. The company has already mobilised 25 hydraulic dumper trucks, 50 tipper autos and more than 100 tricycle carts for collection and transportation of garbage,” he added.

Waste plan

Monthly service charges Rs 10 from each household in slum areas
Rs 15 from low income group families
Rs 50 from middle class and affluent families