‘Waste management firm’s contract terminated’, reads the headline. ‘Company accused of improper handling of solid waste’, reads another. At a time when urban local bodies are increasingly seeking to hand over responsibility for various steps of solid waste management to third parties, such announcements create a sense of doom and gloom among industry players, and vitiate the atmosphere of trust between municipal officials and potential vendor partners.
In some cases, due diligence is not done before a contract is awarded. In others, the awardee does not know how to manage funds, or squirrels them away. In many cases, the service provider simply dumps the waste in outlying areas and pockets the money.
In this issue, we feature two service providers who have successful associations with municipal bodies. They describe how they were assessed, how they offer as much operational transparency as possible, and what more is needed to improve the quality of service.
Whether Mahe or Mahad, an emphasis on scientific disposal, accountability and verification of services is non-negotiable.