SMC plans garbage campaign

Come April 1, Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) will becomes the first civic body in the state to launch a "door to door" garbage collection system. In the first phase, the system will be launched in three zones of Surat.

While the Mumbai-based Global Waste Management has been selected for the Central Zone ,which houses a bulk of the old city, Jigar Transport Services of Mehsana has been awarded the contract for the Varachha Zone and the Jaipur-based Central Development Resources has bagged the contract for the Atthwa Zone.

The whole exercise is expected to cost the SMC about Rs. three crore a year. Around 450 contract labourers would be pressed into service for collection of garbage.

As per SMC analysis Central Zone generates about 90 tonne of garbage per day, followed by Varachha Zone (80 tonne) and Atthwa Zone (60 tonne).

The Central Zone houses three vegetable markets and a clutch complexes, while the Varachha Zone in east Surat is the home for the diamond cutting and polishing industry. The Atthwa Zone comprises up market residential and business areas.

The SMC has also planned a major awareness drive, through newspaper advertisements and distribution of pamphlets, to make the ambitious scheme a success. "We would also tell public as to when the staff would come to collect the garbage", a SMC official said.