A year into its existing waste management contract in Amritsar in the state of Punjab, India, Averda, announced it has been awarded a new contract for the ancient Walled City centre, which houses the Golden Temple and an additional 30,000 households.  

Averda plans to deploy 41 mini tippers, along with 54 rickshaw trolleys, to collect household municipal waste and ferry them to composting and treatment sites. The company said it has been working closely with Amritsar’s municipal authorities over the last year to transform waste collection and treatment in the city. They have been encouraging residents and businesses to segregate their waste before collection, allowing the organic waste to be composted rather than landfilled, said Averda. With their public outreach and education programme, around a third of waste is now being segregated before disposal, with ambitions to increase this to 50 percent within the next year, as per the statement.   

“Municipal waste collection and management is of paramount importance so far as public health is concerned. I urge residents of all wards, and owners of commercial establishments, to segregate municipal waste properly so that the task of waste management becomes much easier,” said Punjab Deputy Chief Minister OP Soni, during the inauguration ceremony. 

Amritsar Mayor Karamjit Singh said the city authorities are determined to make the holy city an ideal example of waste management in India. AMC Commissioner Malwinder Singh Jaggi, IAS, said, “The public-private partnership is the new mantra to ensure best civic facilities in the city. Door-to-door collection of municipal waste in collaboration with Averda is a case in point.” 

Averda’s Managing Director in India, Amit Bajpai, said, “Averda has decades of experience in bringing quality, sustainable waste management services to communities around the world, but only started working in India in 2020. The award of this new contract extension is testament to the hard work and progress we have made in Amritsar, and we look forward to extending our services further to the benefit of citizens and visitors.”