Proposal for Mandatory Household Waste Collection in Agartala, Bhatri Sangha Urges for a Cleaner and Greener City
By Our Correspondent
Agartala, November 3, 2025
In a significant move towards achieving the vision of a Smart, Clean and Green Agartala, Bhatri Sangha has submitted a detailed proposal to the Mayor of Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC), calling for a more efficient, mandatory, and citizen-friendly household waste collection system across the city.
According to the official letter (Ref. No. BS/2025241001, dated October 24, 2025) signed by the Secretary of Bhatri Sangha, AMC currently manages city waste primarily through two systems, placement of large green and blue bins in market and office zones, and door-to-door garbage collection from residential areas each morning.
While acknowledging the AMC’s existing efforts, Bhatri Sangha has pointed out persistent challenges such as non-payment of the Rs. 60 monthly collection fee by several residents, unsegregated waste disposal, and operational hurdles in consistent door-to-door collection. These issues, the group says, are undermining Agartala’s cleanliness and hygiene goals.
Drawing inspiration from successful waste management models in Indore, Surat, Chandigarh, Bengaluru, and Kolkata, Bhatri Sangha has put forward the following proposals:
Daily Collection Schedule: Hand-pulled carts should visit each household at a fixed time every day to collect wet and dry waste separately.
Mandatory Waste Collection: The waste collection fee should be integrated with property tax instead of being charged monthly. A small revision in tax rates can support the initiative sustainably.
Legal Empowerment: AMC should be legally authorized to impose fines or penalties on residents who fail to hand over household waste or violate collection rules.
Public Awareness Campaign: Launch a citywide education drive to promote waste segregation at the source.
Affordable Garden Waste Disposal: The existing charge of Rs. 1,700 per truck for removal of garden waste should be reduced to Rs. 250 per truck or made free to encourage residents to grow and maintain greenery.
The proposal emphasizes that effective waste management depends on joint responsibility between citizens and authorities. It envisions a system that:
Encourages citizen participation in keeping Agartala clean.
Minimizes street littering and illegal dumping.
Enables effective recycling through segregation at source.
Promotes urban greenery through affordable garden waste disposal.
Strengthens citizen-administration collaboration toward the goal of a “Clean and Green Agartala.”
“We firmly believe that a clean and beautiful city cannot be achieved without the active participation of its citizens. This proposal is not just an administrative step, it is also a call to awaken civic responsibility,” the organization stated.
Bhatri Sangha has urged AMC to urgently review and implement the proposal to ensure a transparent, sustainable, and citizen-inclusive waste management system, ultimately positioning Agartala among the cleanest cities in India.
To strengthen its case, the organization cited examples from the Varanasi Municipal Corporation (VMC), which enforces the Uttar Pradesh Solid Waste Management & Sanitation Rules, 2021 (UP SWM Rules). Key penalties include:
Spitting in public places, Rs. 250, Leaving food for stray animals on roads, Rs. 250, Littering or keeping garbage for over 24 hours, Rs. 500, Failure of pet owners to clean excreta in public Rs. 500, Dumping waste into drains or water bodies, Rs. 750, Throwing litter or spitting from moving vehicles Rs. 1,000, Damaging bins or transporting uncovered waste Rs. 2,000, Creating health risks due to stagnant water up to Rs. 5,000.
If Agartala adopts a similar framework, supported by citizen awareness and strict enforcement, the city could soon emerge as one of the cleanest and greenest capitals in the Northeast.
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