The civic body has rolled out mega plans for handling its ever
increasing garbage, which currently revolved around 650 to 700 tonnes a
day.

Roping in state-of-the-art technology from the country’s
premier institution — IIT-Madras —, officials have planned to introduce
“cycle-activated sludge technology,” with which recycling is possible to
a great extent after treatment without affecting the environment.

Recently,
technocrats, accompanied by the civic body’s engineers, visited the
Avaniapuram and Sakkimangalam sites, near here, where segregation of
waste is being done.

Suggesting transformation from the British
instituted “French Drainage Treatment System,” the officials were told
about the need for preserving the environment and lessen pollution.
Right from modernisation of fleets to improvement of transfer station
and compost yard figured in the discussions, officials said.

Presently, Madurai Corporation spends close to Rs. 40 lakh every month in lifting garbage from across the 100 wards.

Though
the national average of per capita garbage generation is around 400
grams, the Madurai Corporation claims that it lifts 425 grams per
person.

It deploys 2800 conservancy workers and transports garbage
in 150 vehicles, including trucks, push carts and tri-cycles from
different locations.

Speaking to
The Hindu
, Corporation Commissioner Sandeep Nanduri said that for segregation
purpose, the Corporation had 32 acres of land on the outskirts, but
considering the rise in population and newly added wards, an additional
119.27 acres of land had been identified.

After the Corporation
expanded from 72 to 100 wards by adding extension areas, its
jurisdiction too had expanded from 51.82 square kilometres to 147.99
square kilometres, he added.

Stakeholders’ support

With
the Smart City project taking shape, focus is now on improving the area
around the Meenakshi Temple. The civic body has planned to introduce
not only eco-friendly toilets, but state-of-the-art technology in
disposing garbage. “The dumper bins are to be placed underground, so
that there is less scope for pollution. Only when the devotees and
shopkeepers cooperate, the objective will be fulfilled,” he said.

Special squads would be deployed round-the-clock to clear garbage in and around the Meenakshi Temple.

The
authorities were also examining extension of night cleaning to streets
situated close to the temple (Avanimoola, Chithirai and Masi Streets) so
that movement of garbage hauling trucks is minimum during daytime.

Central funds

While
the Union government will provide Rs. 100 crore as first instalment
towards Smart City project and an equal sum is expected from the State
government before this end of this fiscal, the civic body is also
looking for funds from the Centre for the sewer project to cover newly
added areas, for which a proposal for Rs. 229.36 crore had been
submitted. “The project is expected to be approved soon,” a senior
official in the accounts section said.

Not without problems

A
section of the conservancy workers employed on contract basis have
threatened to go on strike if their demands are not fulfilled soon.
According to union representatives, wage agreement with different types
of workers had been violated and they also alleged that there were
malpractices.

For instance, a worker who was to get Rs. 450 per
day, was getting Rs. 325 only. Similarly, a woman conservancy worker
said that Rs. 4500 was credited to her account per month against Rs.
7500. Another worker said that she had not got her wages for the last
three months.

Corporation officials, however, said that they had
taken action against the contractor concerned and claimed that the issue
would be sorted out soon.