The Hindu 14.09.2009

Corporation to buy more machines

Sangeetha Unnithan

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In an effort to reduce the volume of non-biodegradable wastes being transported to its garbage treatment plant at Vilappilsala, the city Corporation is planning to procure more shredding machines that can segregate plastic waste and convert it into small fragments.

The conversion of plastic waste into fragment plastic materials will make it easy to transport by decreasing its volume.

The Corporation plans to procure shredding machines for five of its health offices in the first phase.

“Initially, shredding machines will be procured for five health offices, including Chala, Peroorkada and Manacaud, which are near big markets. We are planning to procure the machines within the next two months,” said Corporation health standing committee chairman G.R. Anil.

Income generation

The project is also an income generation initiative for the civic body which plans to sell the shredded plastic to industries and plastic recycling units. Corporation health officer D. Sreekumar said the shredded plastic will be converted to compact bales at Vilappilsala treatment plant where the Corporation had recently procured two new baling machines.

“The idea is to avoid mass transportation of non-biodegradable waste to Vilappilsala. Once the plastic waste is shredded, it will be easier to transport it to Vilappilala where it will be converted into compact bales using the baling machine,” he said.

Mr. Sreekumar said as part of this initiative, the Corporation would be strictly enforcing the segregation of biodegradable and plastic wastes at the source level.

Another proposal

The Corporation is also mooting another proposal to use the baled recyclable plastic for polymerised road tarring in the city.

“We are planning to use this segregated and shredded plastic for tarring of roads on an experimental basis. But this can be done only with the support of the Public Works Department. So we will first have to get sanction from the State government for experimental tarring of roads using the plastic bales,” Mr. Anil said.

Meanwhile, preliminary work, including levelling and other ground work of the leachate treatment plant at Vilappilsala garbage treatment plant, has commenced.

Leachate treatment

The leachate treatment plant is intended to check the discharge of liquid waste that was polluting the nearby Meenambally canal, a tributary of Karamana River. The leachate from the accumulated garbage will be collected in tanks, recycled in an oxidation plant and diverted to the processing plant.

The Rs.1.25 crore leachate treatment plant project is being taken up under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). Work on the plant, being done by a Pune-based agency, is expected to be completed within eight months.

Maintenance work

Mr. Anil said the Corporation would launch a major maintenance work at the Vilappilsala garbage treatment plant. This would include increasing the area of the shed housing garbage rejects, construction of new drains and boundary walls and fencing of the plant. “All these works are in the tendering stage,” he said adding that the capping process of accumulated garbage at the plant would be completed this month itself.