One of the new garbage vats placed by the Guwahati Waste Management Company. Picture by Eastern Projections

Dec. 29: The Guwahati Municipal Corporation has decided not to collect sewerage tax.

GMC chief administrator Robin Bordoloi said many residents were opposed to paying Rs 50 per month to the Guwahati Waste Management Company Private Limited for collecting waste from their doorsteps on the ground that they were already paying sewerage tax to the corporation.

“We do collect sewerage tax along with property tax from residents on quarterly basis. Even though the tax is not very high, the GMC has in principle decided not to collect the amount from next year so that the residents do not mind paying Rs 50 to the firm,” Bordoloi said.

“The final decision will be taken after discussing the matter with Guwahati development department minister Himanta Biswa Sarma this week,” he added.

The firm, a joint venture of the state government and the Hyderabad-headquartered Ramky Enviro Engineers Limited, is executing a Rs 102.16-crore integrated solid waste management project.

Ramky has invested Rs 67 crore while Delhi and Dispur have invested Rs 31.64 crore and Rs 3.52 crore respectively. The Centre has provided the money under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission.

Bordoloi said the GMC, being the nodal agency of the state government for the project, has the responsibility for its successful execution. The project aims at turning Guwahati into one of the cleanest cities in the country, he added.

“A massive awareness drive for the project has been taken up in public-private partnership model, including making announcements on the public address system, holding awareness meetings and distributing publicity material to elicit desired co-operation of the people. If some people do not co-operate despite the GMC’s best efforts, we will be forced to take legal action,” the chief administrator said.

The GMC will soon ask its enforcement officials to impose fines on residents who dump garbage on the roads and in front of their residence. The minimum amount of fine will be Rs 500.

“We will send the enforcement officials once the areas are identified where residents are refusing to co-operate with the company for scientific disposal of garbage,” he added.

Bordoloi said the corporation had sought a status report of the project from the firm.