Municipality says its not their job to ‘dispose wastes of different nature’.
Coming down heavily on city restaurants, hotels and eating joints, Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) has issued direction for them to prepare an action plan for removal of solid waste generated in their units.
The civic body also made it clear that it was not the duty of SMC to dispose wastes of different nature generated by them.
Surat city generates nearly 1,650 tonne of solid waste daily. At present, majority of the food joints dispose off their waste through SMC’s door to door collection system or throw it in SMC dustbins. “Like hospitals who dispose their bio-medical waste as per the laid down guidelines, hotel association will now have to make arrangements to dispose organic and other waste generated in their units,” said Dr Hemant Desai, deputy commissioner of health, SMC after meeting with the representatives of South Gujarat Hotel and Restaurant Association (SHARA) on Friday.
According to an estimate there are nearly 700 restaurants and hotels besides at least 5,000 roadside food outlets. However, SHARA has just 200 members. “Till now majority of the restaurants and food joints are not covered under any association. They must form an organization and get together to devise an action plan for disposal of organic waste – food waste and other semi liquid waste.” said Desai.
SMC on its part has appointed an nodal officer who will assist, hotels’ association to coordinate the activity of disposal of waste. Similarly, industries located in the SMC area have also been asked to draw a plan to dispose their waste.