Srinagar, Sep 10: The Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) on Thursday launched a 24×7 online waste bin booking service, allowing residents to book waste bins without visiting SMC offices.
SMC Commissioner Fazlul Haseeb, along with Joint Commissioner Suhail Ul Islam, launched the facility aimed at simplifying civic service delivery and promoting transparent and faceless governance. The service is primarily meant for weddings, condolence gatherings and other social or community events requiring temporary waste disposal arrangements.
Speaking to reporters, the SMC Commissioner said the initiative would make waste-management services more convenient for residents while reducing physical interaction with the Corporation. “This is one of those steps to improve service delivery and to ensure that there is faceless governance,” he said.
Residents can submit their requirements, location and contact details through the official SMC website and complete payment through the integrated online gateway. After booking, users will receive confirmation along with the name and phone number of the designated driver, while the details will also be sent through SMS.
Haseeb said the service is charged at around Rs 2,000 per day, with one booking day counted from 10 am to 10 am. Additional days can be booked under the same cycle.
The Commissioner said the SMC has designated specific hooper vehicles and drivers for the service to ensure timely execution of confirmed bookings. “The new system would eliminate the earlier process of physically approaching the Corporation and checking waste-bin availability, making the service faster and more accessible,” he said.
On solid waste management, he said several projects were at different stages, including the construction and demolition waste processing plant, Integrated Solid Waste Management project and biomining project.
“Waste management, for so many years, we have had a waste problem. Obviously, a transition system is going on in which systems are being implemented,” Haseeb said, expressing hope that significant progress would be visible within the next one to two years.
The Commissioner further said that the SMC had begun auditing its community halls to identify infrastructure gaps, including furnishing, bathrooms, electricity, windows and accessibility.
Around 25 community halls have been audited so far, while another seven to eight are pending, he said, adding that repair and improvement works would be taken up after completion of the exercise.
The online booking facility, the SMC Commissioner said, is part of the SMC’s broader digitalisation drive to make civic services simpler, transparent and more responsive—(KNO)
