Garbage dumped on the road at Ulubari in Guwahati. Picture by Eastern Projections

Guwahati, Aug. 10: The integrated solid waste management project for the city has run into rough weather with Dispur deciding to constitute a committee to probe allegations of inefficiency of Ramky Enviro Engineers Limited to execute the scheme.

The Rs 102.16-crore project, launched in 2008 and first of its kind in the region, aims to make Guwahati one of the cleanest cities in the country.

Highly placed sources told The Telegraph that Guwahati development department minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has already issued the order of setting up the inquiry committee.

“If the committee finds the allegations correct, it would immediately cancel the contract with the Hyderabad-based Ramky group and invite fresh tenders to select a new firm for the project. The government has already informed the management of Ramky Enviro Engineers Ltd, expressing its displeasure over allegations of inefficiency against the group from various quarters,” a source said.

The project involves door-to-door collection of solid waste, its transportation, scientific treatment and disposal for power generation and compost for a period of 20 years.

Under the terms of the deal, Dispur has to contribute Rs 3.52 crore, the Centre Rs 31.64 crore while Ramky has to shell out Rs 67 crore.

Sources said Dispur’s unhappiness is evident from the fact that it is exploring the possibility of bringing the A2Z Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd as a partner to execute the project.

A special purpose vehicle in the form of Guwahati Waste Management Company Private Ltd was launched to execute the project. The Ramky group later took over the company.

“Even though the start of the project was excellent, it had slowed down within a year. The company has left out most of the interior areas in the city from the purview of waste collection. Personnel engaged by Ramky to collect the wastes are very irregular and do not come on time, forcing people to make their own arrangements. Some citizens have even started dumping garbage on the roadside,” the source said.

Moreover, the garbage dumped in the dustbins are not cleared for several days, the source added.

A Guwahati Waste Management Company official while refuting the allegations said the government has informally intimated the company about fresh bidding for the project.

“We were given the mandate of collecting wastes from one lakh households. But the number of households in the city is over one lakh. The existing infrastructure and machinery does not allow the company staff to visit every household,” he added.

Dhiren Baruah, the president of Save Guwahati Build Guwahati, said the development is unfortunate.

“The government should have worked out the project in a well-planned manner,” Anil Sarma, a resident of Gandhi Basti, said.