Nagpur: With the onset of monsoon, the responsibility to take preventive measures against mosquito-borne diseases like dengue and chikungunya lay with the Mahayuti government and the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC). Unfortunately, these diseases have started spreading in Nagpur following waterlogging. The situation worsened when workers of AG Enviro Infra Projects Pvt. Ltd., the contractor responsible for garbage collection, went on an unannounced strike, leading to piles of garbage accumulating across the city. This has raised concerns about an increase in mosquito breeding, foul odors, and flies, causing severe inconvenience to citizens, according to Vikas Thakre, President of the Nagpur District (City) Congress Committee and MLA.
Thakre criticized the NMC for failing to take any action against the garbage management company even after the workers went on strike. He demanded that the NMC Commissioner, Dr. Abhijit Chaudhari, cancel the contracts of AG Enviro and BVG India, the two companies responsible for waste management. He also called for strict action against officials in the waste management department who did not respond to the two-day strike by AG Enviro’s employees, which led to various issues.
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Friday 17 Jan. 2025
In five zones—Laxmi Nagar, Dharampeth, Hanuman Nagar, Dhantoli, and Nehru Nagar—garbage has not been collected for two days, resulting in waste piling up in homes, apartment complexes, markets, and housing societies. Some residents and shopkeepers have resorted to dumping waste on roadsides and open spaces, leading to increased mosquito infestation, foul odors, and pollution.
As per contract terms, the NMC was obligated to cancel AG Enviro’s contract and impose strict penalties for the sudden strike. However, no action was taken, allegedly because officials continued to work in favor of the companies. Thakre warned that if services do not improve and immediate action is not taken against the contractors, citizens will have no choice but to dump their household waste at NMC premises.
175 Crores Paid Despite Resolution to Cancel Contract
In June 2020, I caught the contractor and NMC officials red-handed mixing soil, stones, and other materials with garbage. A notice was issued to terminate the contractor’s services. Considering this exposure and other irregularities and poor services, the NMC General Assembly passed a resolution in January 2020 to cancel the contracts of AG Enviro and BVG India. However, the NMC administration did not cancel the contract; instead, they paid the contractor ₹175 crores after the resolution, which is a major scam.
315 Crores Paid Despite Poor Services
The NMC pays two contractors ₹70 crores annually for daily garbage collection, wet and dry waste segregation, mechanical transfer, waste transportation, and the elimination of black spots. Despite failing in all aspects, the NMC has paid ₹315 crores to these contractors over the past 4.5 years.
Illegal Garbage Transfer Centers Continue Despite Spending 24 Crores on New Stations
The contractors were responsible for developing mechanized garbage transfer centers in all 10 zones. Despite objections, the NMC floated a ₹24 crore tender in 2023 to purchase 50 compactors and 15 hook loaders. However, the contractors continue to illegally operate garbage transfer centers in residential areas, causing severe problems for citizens. One such illegal center is operating near Jayaprakash Nagar.
