Acting sternly upon Essel Infra, the company responsible for handling solid waste disposal in the State Capital, the Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) has set a week long deadline for the concerned firm for cleaning up Jhiri mess that recently provoked the local community members here.
“We have asked the engineers to complete the assessment task of the entire area within a month. Survey will be completed by then. In the first phase, the Municipal Corporation will construct boundary wall and demarcate the drainage construction area of the dumping yard. Essel Infra has been given a week deadline to make essential arrangements at Jhiri,” said, Additional Municipal Commissioner (ACM), Divyanshu Jha.
Similarly, Deputy Mayor Sanjiv Vijayawargia who recently visited the place with Municipal Commissioner Shantanu Kumar Agrahari and RMC Officer (Health), Dr. Kiran Kumari said that if within a week, Essel Infra fails to clean up the area as per the instructions given to them; it will be blacklisted from the Municipal Corporation’s list.
“Considering the filth at Jhiri, before taking up any civil construction work, the company has been instructed to make proper roads and clear the routes where garbage is scattered. The civic body has also instructed the company to dump the garbage away from the main approach roads,” added the Deputy Mayor.
Notably, in wake of rising environmental concerns and seeking human beings well-being, on July 11, villagers at Jhiri had protested against dumping waste materials there. Most of the village dwellers are of the opinion that due to the waste materials that are dumped heedlessly here on regular basis without segregating has left their farming lands barren, once covered with vegetation besides causing several health problems among the residents.
Interestingly, in August 2015 too several residents of Jhiri protested against the dumping of garbage there. The protest in 2015 had continued till one month and had compelled Mayor Asha lakra to visit the dumping ground of RMC located 15 Km. away from the State Capital.
Agitators had earlier also stopped RMC vehicles thrice from dumping garbage there, citing the same health and crop destruction issue. Following the agitation and on the residents demand, the Mayor had said that soon a waste disposal unit would be constructed at Jhiri but despite of assurance nothing has been done yet even to ensure basic hygiene facilities for the locals here.
Sick and tired of the false promises and the stench emitting from the heaps of garbage that has compelled the residents to spend sleepless nights, once again outraged Jhiri residents have demanded the officials of RMC to intervene into the matter. Ironically, it is only after the protest, the Municipal Corporation wakes up. Moreover, the civic body besides taking up the work in its hand has again given the charge to Essel Infra that has been summoned several times.
“RMC alone cannot do everything. The tender process is tedious. In spite of all, the concerned company has to only manage the work at Jhiri as per the clause of the agreement,” said Vijayawargia.
On the other hand, General Manager, Essel Infra, Arun Kumar Singh is confident that the company will be successful in cleaning up the muddle within the set deadline as given to them by the civic body.
“Garbage thrown at approach routes will be cleared in two-three days while temporary road work will get complete within a week. Now all the garbage collecting vehicle drivers have been instructed to ensure that the garbage is dumped in interior side only where solid waste disposal plant for generating electricity is likely to be constructed,” added Singh.
Also, on the long pending project of setting up solid waste disposal unit for generating electricity, Essel Infra GM simply remarked that they have been just able to fix the electricity tariff rate at Rs.7.29 per unit by far besides that few major documentation works are pending with different agencies.