GHMC faces garbage crisis amid Ramky row
HYDERABAD: Garbage accumulation is worsening across the limits of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, Cyberabad Municipal Corporation and Malkajgiri Municipal Corporation, with door-to-door collection disrupted and waste piling up on roads.
A dispute between Ramky, the agency handling waste management in Greater Hyderabad, and Swachh auto workers engaged in door-to-door collection has added to residents’ troubles.
Swachh auto dispute disrupts door-to-door collection
Workers say they have been collecting waste for generations and will continue to do so. However, officials found that collection is largely limited to apartments, villas and high-income colonies, while slum areas are being skipped. Residents of such areas are dumping garbage at Garbage Vulnerable Points (GVPs).
Officials said the roots of the crisis lie in a 2016 decision by GHMC to provide Swachh autos under an owner-cum-driver model. The corporation supplied 2,500 vehicles in 2016 and another 2,000 in 2019.
SC workers paid ₹60,000 and BC workers ₹80,000 as down payment, while GHMC bore the monthly equated monthly instalments (EMIs). Since GHMC paid the instalments, workers were directed to collect ₹50 per household.
GHMC had signed a 25-year agreement with Ramky in 2009 for door-to-door collection, secondary transportation and scientific landfill at the Jawaharnagar dumping yard. Experts said had the contract been implemented fully from the outset, the present situation could have been avoided.
Chief Minister Revanth Reddy recently warned officials that action would follow if garbage was found on city roads.
Swachh autos double in field, middlemen profit
Though GHMC provided 4,500 autos, more than 10,000 Swachh autos are reportedly operating across the three corporations. Officials said middlemen are using the Swachh auto label to run private vehicles, appointing drivers and directing them to collect waste only from revenue-generating colonies.
Workers allegedly demand payments before lifting garbage. Sources said middlemen earn lakhs of rupees per month per vehicle. Areas are reportedly being sold for collection rights for large sums.
Disputes over house allocations have even led to murders in some instances. In one case, a colony was reportedly given as dowry to a relative. Officials acknowledged large-scale irregularities linked to Swachh autos.
Ramky contract under scrutiny
The 2009 agreement faced opposition from employee and labour unions and was implemented in phases after 2012. Initially fixed at ₹810 per metric tonne, the rate is revised annually by 5 per cent. GHMC now pays ₹2,110 per metric tonne.
Hyderabad generates around 8,000 metric tonnes of garbage daily.
Though Ramky was to handle door-to-door collection under the contract, then commissioner Somesh Kumar introduced Swachh auto tippers in 2015 to speed up primary collection and transport to transfer stations and the dumping yard.
‘Provide new autos,’ say workers
Rajender, president of the Telangana Swachh Tipper Workers’ Union, said: “We are ready to collect waste from every house. Many vehicles supplied earlier are damaged. GHMC should provide new autos and clear EMIs for the existing 4,500 vehicles to avoid affecting workers’ CIBIL scores. Ramky should not interfere. We have been in this work for generations.”
‘Ensure full collection,’ says civic forum
Padmanabha Reddy, president of Forum for Good Governance, said: “Authorities must first resolve the garbage issue instead of trading allegations. Waste should not be visible on roads. Door-to-door collection is the responsibility of municipalities.”
‘Cancel Ramky contract,’ union demands
Udari Gopal, president of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Employees’ Union, said: “GHMC should cancel the Ramky contract. The corporation pays over ₹400 crore annually to Ramky. Direct handling by GHMC would cost far less.”
Experts suggested GHMC hold structured talks with the 4,500 Swachh auto workers and assess their coverage capacity before deciding whether to continue with Ramky or deploy direct staff. They noted that three commissioners have held discussions with workers after GHMC’s bifurcation, but no comprehensive resolution has emerged.
