MMC drivers call in ‘sick’, garbage collection hit

MARGAO: Unavailability of adequate number of drivers has hit Margao Municipal Council’s (MMC) garbage collection exercise and pre-monsoon works. The issue came to the fore at the meeting of the council held recently after councillors complained of failure on the part of MMC to lift garbage regularly.
While there are 23 drivers in regular employment of the MMC, 10 have been working on contract basis.Sanitary inspector Viraj Arabekar, when questioned by chairperson Babita Prabhudessai, said the situation was a result of most drivers refusing to operate the garbage compactors or trucks on health grounds. They prefer to get behind the wheels of light motor vehicles instead, Arabekar said. Councillors pointed out how the silt removed from the drains as a part of the pre-monsoon works, finds its way back into the drains as garbage trucks fail to lift and carry it away from besides the drains. Prabhudessai has called a meeting with officials concerned.
Sources said the MMC owns a fleet of 20 vehicles — five compactors, seven trucks and eight rickshaws — which is under the control of the sanitary section. However, in view of the unavailability of sufficient regular drivers to operate the heavy vehicles, rickshaws are drafted to handle the additional load. This has led to sense of consternation among the ‘contract’ drivers as while they are made to slog, the regular drivers manage to excuse themselves from their duties on health grounds, flimsy or genuine.
The situation has also led to security concerns after it was brought to the notice of the council that batteries of some of the trucks parked in the MMC garage in the old market area were stolen by unidentified culprits, recently. It was decided to review security arrangements.