With just weeks left for the March deadline, Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) is yet to build 29 portable compact transfer stations (PCTS), which aim to resolve the persistent problem of open garbage dumping in the city.
One PCTS unit is capable of managing around 14 tons of waste in a shift (For representation)
One PCTS unit is capable of managing around 14 tons of waste in a shift. The construction cost of each unit is around ₹25 lakh, said an official.
According to LMC environmental engineer Sanjeev Pradhan, the civic body has set March of this year as the deadline for completing the project. “The government has been requested to sanction an amount of ₹50 crore for the construction of PCTS units,” he said, adding that the funds were required to speed up work in the remaining zones.
Pradhan added two private agencies were responsible for the construction of the 29 PCTS units, with the expenditure cost being met from LMC funds. “So far, 17 PCTS units have been constructed,” he said.
A portable compact transfer station is a mobile waste management unit that integrates a garbage container with a compactor. It allows waste collected from local areas to be compacted and temporarily stored before being transported in bulk to processing or disposal sites. Civic officials say the system reduces repeated landfill trips and prevents garbage from being dumped openly on roadsides.
Despite the plans, the limited number of operational PCTS units has failed to make a visible dent in the city’s waste problem. Residents in several parts of the city continue to complain of overflowing garbage points, foul smell and unhygienic conditions.
Mayor Sushma Kharkwal said the situation would improve once the project was completed. “After the PCTS units are set up across the city within the stipulated time, the issue of open dumping is expected to be resolved,” she said.