Saratov Residents to Have Bills Recalculated Due to Waste Removal Problems
Governor Roman Busargin stated that residents of all settlements where there were disruptions in waste removal in January will have a recalculation for this utility service. The decision was made after numerous complaints about the improper condition of container sites and untimely waste removal.
‘I consider this a fair decision given the complaints received,’ noted the head of the region.
Complaints came not only from large cities but also from districts, including Tatishchevsky, Khvalynsky, Turkovsky, Bazarno-Karabulaksky, and others. Busargin instructed the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology and local administrations to process all appeals as soon as possible. Work was carried out on weekends and continues now.
The governor acknowledged that heavy precipitation created objective difficulties, but emphasized that «systematic work must be established» between the regional operator, municipalities, and the relevant department. He demanded that problems with access to container sites be resolved promptly, not shifting responsibility.
‘It is obvious that for a certain period, residents received poor-quality service. All standards are specified in the legislation. Recalculation must be carried out for all settlements where there were disruptions,’ stated Busargin.
According to the governor, changes in payment should already be reflected in January bills. Recall that the waste removal problem in Saratov worsened after heavy snowfalls. City residents in chats and social networks published photos of overflowing container sites, claiming that approaches to them were cleared, but removal is not being carried out.
The regional operator «Sitimatik» reported more than 6.5 thousand cases where heavy equipment could not reach the bins due to snow drifts, as well as cases where containers were frozen in ice. Activists and local deputies sent appeals to the governor and prosecutor«s office demanding to bring order to the solid municipal waste management sphere.
