New Delhi, March 13 The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has stated that private contractors are responsible for collecting municipal waste from households, markets, and streets in its South, Central, and West zones.
The MCD said this in a communication issued to several private companies regarding the collection and transportation of municipal solid waste.
The development comes amid questions over the amount of garbage recorded in the Central Zone after waste collection operations were taken over by a private contractor, a press release by officials familiar with departmental records said on Friday.
According to the release, the daily waste quantity reported for payment increased from around 600 metric tonnes per day to nearly 1,600 metric tonnes.
The release said the private contractor is responsible for collecting municipal waste and transporting it to designated processing plants and landfill sites.
It added that payments to waste collection contractors are largely based on the quantity of garbage transported to processing plants and landfill sites, making the reported tonnage an important factor in determining municipal expenditure.
The waste management contract is part of a Rs 3,000 crore project covering three municipal zones in Delhi, the release said.
Citing an official municipal document issued in February by the civic body during the tender process, the release stated that the MCD informed private contractors that the number of waste collection vehicles would have to be increased gradually during the contract period.
The document also stated that contractors would be required to replace a portion of the vehicle fleet after a few years and maintain the infrastructure used for transferring waste to processing plants and landfill sites.