Mohali, Jan. 29 -- Mohali's long-awaited door-to-door segregated waste collection programme ran into trouble on Wednesday after contractual sanitation workers, backed by their union, staged a protest against the initiative, forcing the civic body to defer its formal inauguration even as garbage continues to pile up across the city. The Mohali municipal corporation (MC) had planned to formally launch the project on Wednesday in an attempt to address the city's worsening garbage crisis. Under the initiative, households, commercial establishments and offices will be required to segregate waste at the source into wet, dry and hazardous categories. The project, titled 'Door-to-door fresh waste collection, segregation and transportation project', is to be executed by M/s Suntan Life Pvt Ltd. under a public-private partnership (PPP) model for a period of three years, with Mohali MLA Kulwant Singh scheduled to inaugurate it. However, the launch was disrupted after existing garbage collectors, supported by the MC's contractual workers' union, led by sanitation workers, gathered in protest, opposing the handing over of waste collection to a private firm. At present, Mohali does not have a formal or organised garbage collection mechanism. Waste collection in most parts of the city is carried out by garbage collectors who are not officially hired by the MC. These workers collect garbage from households, informally segregate it and dump it at Refuse Management Collection (RMC) points - the first stage of garbage disposal. Since they are not paid by the civic body, they largely depend on the sale of recyclable waste to earn a livelihood. The union members demanded that the existing informal system be allowed to continue and that no private contract be awarded. The absence of an accountable and structured system has, however, led to frequent complaints from residents about irregular and untimely waste collection, garbage lying unattended on city roads and overflowing RMC points. The MC has repeatedly come under fire for failing to prevent garbage pile-ups, especially in residential sectors and market areas. Following Wednesday's protest, representatives of the workers' union met Mohali MLA Kulwant Singh to press their demands. Singh said he had personally heard out the concerns of the protesting employees. "The workers are demanding that the private contract should not be awarded and that the existing system be allowed to continue. However, the ground reality is that Mohali is facing a massive garbage crisis, with waste clearly visible on roads across the city," the MLA said, adding that a structured mechanism was urgently needed. "There has to be a proper system to ensure that garbage is collected, segregated and disposed of scientifically. Door-to-door segregated waste collection is an essential part of that process. We are holding discussions with the employees and trying to arrive at a mutually acceptable solution," Singh said. MC commissioner Parminder Pal Singh, meanwhile, made it clear that the civic body would move ahead with the project despite the protest. He said that while the formal inauguration had not taken place, the private firm would begin garbage collection as planned. "Mohali needs a proper and organised waste collection mechanism. We are sticking to our plan and are committed to working in the interest of city residents," the commissioner said. He also warned of strict action if disruptions continue. "If required, we will not hesitate to take legal action. The city cannot be allowed to suffer because of the lack of an effective garbage collection system," he added....