The Hindu    20.08.2012

Udupi CMC plans to ban plastic bags in September

Kiran Kumar, president of Udupi City Municipal Council (CMC), said on Friday that the municipality was planning to ban all kinds of plastic bags from September 1. He was speaking at an interaction programme organised by the Udupi Consumer Forum here. To a question by retired manger of Syndicate Bank Ramesh Rao, Mr. Kumar said he hoped that the ban would be implemented completely by September 15.

A ban on plastic carry bags would discourage people from disposing of garbage on road sides and in other public places, he said.

After the municipality banned the use of plastic bags below 40 microns in October 2011, the problem of garbage disposal had come down by nearly 20 per cent. To streamline the existing door-to-door garbage collection system in the city, the municipality was thinking of providing two buckets to each house — one for collecting wet waste and another for dry waste. While the wet waste buckets would be collected daily, the dry waste buckets would be collected once a week. Now, wet and dry garbage was being collected daily by self-help groups (SHGs) for a fee of Rs. 30 per house every month. Once the two-bucket system was enforced, the municipality would not collect any fee from houses, but would collect fees only from commercial buildings.

The municipality was planning two power projects — one was the bio-methanation plant to generate power using wet or green waste, and another plant to generate power using solid waste by pyrolysis method. These two projects would help make Udupi a clean city, Mr. Kumar said.

To a question, Mr. Kumar said that the municipality had faced some problem in supplying drinking water in May this year because the district administration had not allowed mechanised removal of silt from the river following a court order.

A ban on plastic bags would curb garbage disposal on road sides

The Times of India    18.08.2012

Corp floats retender for the disposal of plastic waste

KOZHIKODE: With the contractor entrusted with the task pulling out of the job, the removal of the piled up plastic waste from different parts of the city got delayed again. Following this the civic body has gone for a retender.It was a month ago that the city corporation awarded the deal to a contractor from Tamil Nadu. He had agreed to procure one kilogram plastic waste for Rs 4.5 per kg. According to the officials, more than 20,000 tonnes of plastic waste is piled up at various parts of the city.Health standing committee chairperson Janamma Kunjunni said that the contractor had withdrawn from the deal after he failed to remove the waste within the agreed time. However, it is learnt that the civic body has expelled the agent after it came to know that the contractor was trying to resell the plastic waste to another person.

"We will select another agent from the many who have expressed their interest in removing the plastic wastes," said the standing committee chairperson.The corporation officials have also informed that there would be a delay in resuming the operation of plastic recycling unit at West Hill Industrial Estate area. "We won't be able to recycle the piled up waste at the recycling plant as it is yet to be fully operational and the corporation has not signed a memorandum of understanding with Sun Rise Plastic Industry, the company that is running the plant, in this regard," Janamma Kunjunni added.

"They have requested for six more months' time for the complete commissioning of the plant, but we have told them to be ready in a month. They have to install two more machines for the recycling of plastic at the plant," she said. "An MoU will be soon inked with the plant," she added."The agency also requested us to allot three collection points in the corporation limit for the collection of generated plastic waste. We have agreed to provide three locations in the city; Puliyakkode, Kuttichira near Kallai Railway Station and at the West Hill Industrial Estate area," said Janamma Kunjunni.

Kozhikode: The public need to wait some more months to get rid of the piled up plastic waste menace in the Kozhikode Corporation limit as the contractor to whom the civic body awarded contract for the one-time removal of the plastic waste has withdrawn from the task. Following the withdrawal of the contractor, the civic body has gone for a retender for the task.The city corporation had entrusted a contractor from Tamil Nadu a month back for the one time removal of the plastic wastes piled up at the various places in the corporation limit after people from various walks of life staged protest demanding the removal of plastic waste.The Tamil Nadu based team had agreed to procure one kilogram plastic waste for Rs.4.5 per kg. It is learnt that the civic body ousted the agent after it sensed that the contractor had tried to resell the plastic waste to another person.

According to the officials, more than 20,000 tonnes of plastic waste is piled up at various parts of the city including at Arabindgosh road, Kozhikode Beach, in front of the old corporation office and on the narrow pocket roads in the city.Health Standing Committee chairperson Janamma Kunjunni said that the contractor had withdrawn from the deal after he failed to remove the piled up waste from the various parts of the city on the agreed time.We will select an agent from the many who have expressed their interest in removing the plastic wastes,'' said the health standing committee chairperson.

we won't be able to recycle the piled up waste at the recycling plant as the plant is yet to resume its operation fully and not singed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the company Sun Rise Plastic Industry,'' said the standing committee chairperson.The civic body has been inviting the wrath of the general public as the sticky smell and flit water flowing from the piled up waste is a common site at the city limit.Meanwhile the corporation officials have also informed that there will be a delay in resuming the operation of plastic recycling unit at West Hill Industrial Estate area.

The agency had requested us allot three collection points in the corporation limit for the collection of generated plastic waste.We have agreed to provide three locations in the city such as Puliyakkode, Kuttichira near Kallai Railway Station and at the West Hill Industrial Estate area,'' said the Health standing committee chairperson. the agent has asked us a time of six months for the complete commissioning of the plant but we have asked them to begin the work within a month.

They need to install two more sophisticated machineries for the recycling of plastic at the plant. An MoU will be soon inked with the agent of the plant,'' said Janamma Kunjunni.