Considering the rising number of complaints against transporting  
waste materials to the Solid Waste Treatment Plant at Brahmapuram on
uncovered vehicles, the Kochi Corporation authorities are planning to 
introduce 13 compact covered trucks for waste collection.

The
vehicles would be purchased within three months by utilising the  funds
under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).

“We
are planning to introduce the vehicles by June. Each compact truck is  
expected to cost `35 lakh and more number of vehicles will be
introduced  by July. The vehicles will be covered and waste will not be
visible to the public and the stench will not be felt either. It will
also prevent leakage of filthy water while transporting garbage,” said
Kochi Corporation Health Standing Committee chairman T K Ashraf.

He
said that currently, the Corporation is transporting waste to the 
treatment plant in hired lorries. “We are now conducting 40 to 60
services to the plant every day. The Corporation is spending a
considerable amount  every month for transportation, especially as rent
for the lorries,” he said. He added that 13 vehicles will not be
sufficient enough to meet the requirement and more number of compact
covered trucks will be introduced later, in the second phase of JNNURM.
While transporting waste in open trucks, the contingency workers usually
cover it with tarpaulin. But, this will not prevent leakage of the
filthy water from the waste thus causing miseries to the motorist,
especially in motor bikes.

When these trucks get stuck at traffic signals, the water will stagnate at the road leaving the area stinking for hours.

However, T K Ashraf said instructions would be given to workers to avoid transporting waste during peak hours.

“Till
the arrival of covered vehicles, we will have to transport waste in 
manually-covered tippers. Hence, we have given instructions to the
workers not to transport waste during day time. But, if the waste is not
transported everyday to the plant, it will lead to piling up,” he
added.