Agencies change, but city residents remain sceptical about a cleaner future soon
The door-to-door garbage collection drive initiated by the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) has drastically failed, leaving citizens across the city frustrated and struggling with unsanitary conditions.
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The drive, which promised systematic garbage collection and smart city services, has been met with widespread complaints and discontent, with many areas in Guwahati reporting non-collection of garbage for weeks.
The GMC had launched the initiative earlier this year with much fanfare. A key component of the initiative was assigning unique house numbers to all properties in the city, which was supposed to streamline various civic services, including garbage collection, emergency response, and utility billing. As part of this initiative, GMC engaged GeoVista Technologies Private Limited to carry out a door-to-door survey and install smart house number plates on every property.
However, despite the ambitious nature of the project, many residents have reported little to no improvement. In fact, the situation has worsened for several households, with garbage collection becoming irregular or stopping altogether.
Talking to GPlus, a resident from Ganeshguri, one of the busiest areas in Guwahati said, "It's been more than 15 days since the garbage has been picked up from our area. The smell has become unbearable, and it is making it difficult for us to even breathe inside our homes. We used to see garbage trucks frequently before, but now they have completely stopped coming."
A resident of Lokhra talking to GPlus said, “GMC’s door-to-door garbage collection has failed completely. They talked about introducing QR codes, and yet we haven’t seen any signs of it. It seems like they are just fooling us with false promises."
GMC’s ambitious plan was part of the larger ‘Smart City’ mission for Guwahati. The smart house numbering system, paired with Geographic Information System (GIS) technology, was expected to map every property in the city and provide each one with a unique address. This was supposed to improve various civic services, including garbage collection, water billing, and emergency response times.
The survey process began in February, with notices issued to residents asking them to keep important documents like owner ID cards, property tax receipts, and utility bills ready for verification. Surveyors were supposed to visit each property, verify the details, and then affix smart house numbers.
The notice issued by GMC outlined clear objectives for the initiative:
• Every property, including houses, flats, shops, and offices, would be visited.
• A unique smart address would be assigned to each property.
• Services like garbage collection and water billing would be improved.
Despite these promises, many residents are left wondering when, if ever, these changes will take effect. The primary complaint seems to be that QR code cards were distributed in some areas but were never installed properly. In many cases, the cards were simply left in apartment buildings or thrown away, with no follow-up from GMC officials.
Talking to GPlus, a resident of Uzan Bazar explained that despite receiving QR codes months ago, no one from GMC has returned to check whether the codes were installed. "They handed over these QR codes to us and then disappeared. We don’t know if these codes are even functioning, and there’s been no improvement in garbage collection," said the resident.
The GMC has acknowledged the problems but has also pointed to a transition period as the reason for the disruptions. According to a senior GMC official, the project was initially divided into 18 packages, each handled by different agencies responsible for specific wards in the city. However, after several agencies failed to meet performance expectations, GMC issued warnings and, eventually, reassigned the contract to new agencies.
Talking to GPlus, a senior official from GMC said, “The tender for this project has been handed over to a new contractor. There are 18 packages, and we have set new guidelines for the agencies working on them. The transition period is causing some delays, but we expect things to improve soon."
The official also emphasised that it would take some time for the new agencies to fully mobilise and resume regular services. “It’s been only ten days since the handover, and it will take some time for the new agency to get everything up and running. We are doing our best to resolve the issue quickly," the official added.
In an effort to provide residents with more direct support, GMC has published a list of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) responsible for different wards, along with their contact information. Citizens are encouraged to reach out to these NGOs if they face issues with garbage collection or other civic services.
Despite assurances from the GMC, many residents remain sceptical about whether the situation will improve. The transition from one agency to another has done little to alleviate the problems on the ground, and many fear that the issue of garbage collection may persist for months.
Talking to GPlus, a resident in Beltola said, "We keep hearing the same excuses from GMC. First, it was the delay in the survey, then it was the agency’s fault, and now they are blaming the transition period. Meanwhile, we are left dealing with piles of garbage outside our homes. If they couldn’t handle a simple task like garbage collection, how can we trust them to make Guwahati a Smart City?”
The failure of the garbage collection system is not just an inconvenience for the residents; it is also posing serious public health risks. With garbage piling up in many parts of the city, concerns about the spread of diseases like dengue and malaria are growing.
Talking to GPlus, a public health expert seeking anonymity warned that uncollected garbage can create breeding grounds for mosquitoes and other pests. “When garbage is left unattended for days, it becomes a perfect environment for mosquitoes to breed. This could lead to an increase in mosquito-borne diseases, particularly during the monsoon season,” he said.
As Guwahati struggles with its door-to-door garbage collection woes, the question remains: Can the GMC fulfill its Smart City ambitions? The project to assign unique house numbers and improve civic services is undoubtedly a step in the right direction, but the implementation has been far from smooth.
For now, Guwahatians continue to wait for the city’s ‘smart’ future, hoping that it does not get buried under piles of garbage.