VIJAYAWADA: A large number of garbage lifting vehicles in the city, owned by Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) have been lying in a breakdown condition in the vehicle depot at Purnanandampet taking a toll on the garbage clearance in the city.
Not only the mini-tipper vehicles that used to carry the trash from various localities in the city to the waste dumping yard have been gathering dust for several months. The city after being announced as part of capital Amaravati is generating more than 650 metric tonnes of solid waste per day.
According to the VMC officials, the corporation owns as many as 150 vehicles, including 11 dumper pacers, four mini trucks and earth movers, which are involved in garbage lifting and transportation to dumping yard near Kolanukonda village. Of the total, about 100 vehicles are being used for lifting garbage and more than 30 trucks are under repair, the expenditure for which has gone up considerably. The corporation spends nearly Rs 1.2 crore per annum to meet fuel expenses and close to Rs 30 lakh on repair of vehicles every month.
In a bid to promote sanitation across the city the corporation also purchased two drain-desilting tankers at an estimated cost of Rs 3.60 crore in 2011 to clean the drainage silt. Due to minor repairs the vehicles were not being used and were lying in the vehicle depot. More importantly, there are also complaints that spare parts of the minor and major vehicles are being robbed regularly. No stringent action was taken by the officials over the issue till date.
Further, drivers, who are in charge of such vehicles, are jobless and spend most of their time at the vehicles depot. Responding on the condition of defunct vehicles, a driver Vasu said that the garbage lifting vehicles have been parked here in breakdown condition for a long time as there were no mechanic to repair them and even spare parts of these vehicles are also not available in the market. It has became a herculean task for the sanitation staff to transport the garbage to the dumping yards through this defunct garbage lifting vehicles. Officials should evolve concrete measures and make alternate arrangements before the commencement of Krishna Pushkarams, he said.
When Contacted, CPM city secretary Donepudi Kasinath over the issue, he said that crores of rupees were being utilized for vehicles, but none of the vehicles was being utilized for the proper purpose. The VMC which focus on burdening the common man through taxation hike should also bother about the irregularities being noticed in the vehicle depot. Serious action should be taken on the staff robbing the spare parts of the defunct vehicles, he said.
Speaking to the Express, VMC Chief Engineer MA Shukur said that the matter is in notice of municipal commissioner G Veerapandian. Lack of technical expertise to repair the vehicles has been worrying the corporation over the months. Discussions were held with concerned officials to take up the repair works for defunct vehicles. Most probably, major trucks and garbage lifting vehicles will be repaired and will get ready by the Pushkaram, he said.