Pune: SWaCH Waste Pickers Face Fines Under New PMC Agreement for Public Littering

Pune, 12th July 2024 – The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) collects garbage through the garbage collectors of SWaCH Organisation by going door to door in Pune city. An agreement has been signed with the SWaCH Organisation until 9th January 2029. However, the PMC administration has amended the agreement and made the rules more stringent. Garbage collectors will be fined Rs 500 if garbage is collected on roads or public places even after cleaning.

Additionally, if this happens repeatedly, the work of the SWaCH Organisation will be withdrawn from the concerned area. The administration has also permitted other organizations to work in Pune. Changes to the contract have increased the PMC’s control over SWaCH and its employees.

Since 2008, PMC has been collecting wet and dry waste from house to house through more than 3,500 garbage collectors from the SWaCH Organisation in Pune. Citizens pay a service fee of Rs 85 per household to garbage collectors. Garbage collectors receive financial contributions from the sale of garbage and scrap materials.

The SWaCH Organisation has been given the job by PMC for five years from 26th January 2024 to 25th January 2029, following the expiry of the earlier contract. Its revised agreement was approved by the Standing Committee in June.

Increased Responsibility

SWaCH Organisation’s waste pickers go door to door, and after collecting the waste, they dispose of the unnecessary waste. This has led to public places getting dirty. Many complaints have been received by the PMC administration regarding this issue. Therefore, the responsibility of waste pickers has been increased in this agreement.

If a garbage-filled spot is found due to waste pickers, the waste picker will be fined Rs 500. If this happens three times in a row, the Additional Commissioner (Estate and Management Department) will be able to decide to withdraw the work of the SWaCH Organisation after calling for a report from the Assistant Commissioner. It will be the responsibility of the waste pickers to clean the feeder point; otherwise, action will be taken.

A ward coordinator is appointed by the SWaCH Organisation to sort the waste in the newly incorporated area and respond to citizens regarding the waste pickers. Currently, there are 146 supervisors. 180 persons, including supervisory and other staff, are required to be appointed, one for every kothi, i.e., one for 9 to 10 thousand households.

The Additional Commissioner has been empowered to determine the educational qualification for ward coordinators, which includes a graduate or MSW in any discipline, solid waste management, environment, health degree, diploma, or suitability in sanitation survey.

If any organization other than SWaCH Organisation wants to work in the city, they must submit a proposal to PMC. If an area office within the area where SWaCH Organisation is functioning has fewer than 100 employees of another organization, they will be absorbed into SWaCH Organisation. If there are more than 100 employees, they can work on a trial basis for 11 months with the approval of the main body.

Sandeep Kadam, Deputy Commissioner of the Solid Waste Management Department, said, “The agreement has been amended to streamline the garbage collection, avoid littering in public places, and ensure garbage collection in the covered villages.”

In View:

– Around 2,300 tonnes of waste generated in Pune
– Rs 112 crore PMC savings every year
– Rs 10 lakh in waste collection revenue
– 3,850 SWaCH employees
– 220 tonnes of waste collected by SWaCH