Over the past three days, private waste disposal vendors have ceased garbage collection from approximately 14,000 flats in the Crossings Republik township, following an order from the municipal corporation. This action was taken after municipal teams cracked down on integrated townships, which are considered bulk waste producers, and discovered that the 29 housing societies in Crossings Republik collectively generate nearly 25,000 kg of solid waste per day. None of these societies, however, have waste processing facilities, which are mandated under the Solid Waste Management Rules of 2016.The township also houses five large commercial units, including shopping malls, that generate over 5,800 kg of waste daily. The Federation of Crossings Republik Apartment Owner’s Association (AOA) is likely to request a two-month extension from the corporation to establish waste processing plants.Ujjwal Mishra, the AOA president, stated, For the last few days, the vendors have stopped picking up garbage from the societies in the township, which has made things difficult for residents. It will take at least two months to set up a garbage disposal unit in the township. We can’t stop waste generation during this period.On Tuesday, members of the AOA met with the CEO of Crossings Infrastructure Private Limited (CIPL) and were advised to arrange a meeting with Mayor Sunita Dayal to request a two-month extension to establish a waste processing plant. According to an AOA representative, the processing unit will be a common plant for all societies and will segregate wet and dry waste.We will have to select a firm that will pick up and dispose of waste from all the 29 housing societies in the township. For this, the firm will be given a plot behind the STP plant, away from the residences. But the process will take some time, the official said.Mayor Sunita Dayal stated that she had not yet received any requests for an extension to establish waste processing plants from either the developer or AOA members. Till now, I have not received any requests. When they reach out to me, I will respond accordingly. GMC’s action is not against any residents, but builders who have been taking high maintenance fees but failed to set up any waste processing units.The Solid Waste Management Rules require all residential societies, hotels, buildings, restaurants, and even shops that generate more than 100 kg of civic waste per day to establish a processing plant for the segregation of wet and dry waste.Last week, GMC launched a campaign to inspect the 12 integrated townships' adherence to waste management rules, including Crossings Republik. According to officials, most of these townships, including Crossings Republik, have hired third-party firms to dispose of their waste, which is often unsegregated and disposed of within the municipal limits, placing additional strain on the GMC.