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MMC writes to DMA for funds to set up biomedical waste plant

Friday, 29 January 2010 07:59 administrator
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The Times of India 29.01.2010

MMC writes to DMA for funds to set up biomedical waste plant

TNN, 29 January 2010, 12:43am IST

MARGAO: With the Sonsoddo imbroglio heading towards a solution, following the decision to award the tender for setting up the garbage treatment plant to Fomento, the Margao municipal council (MMC) appears to have now turned its attention to tackling the problem of biomedical waste in the city.

The MMC has now written to the director of municipal administration (DMA) seeking funds to the tune of Rs 87 lakh for setting up a facility for treatment of biomedical waste and purchase of new garbage compactors. Of this, Rs 40 lakh has been sought for the biomedical waste treatment project, while Rs 47 lakh has been estimated to be the cost of two garbage compactors.

The latest proposal of the MMC is in accordance with a resolution passed by the MMC at its council meeting held in November 2009. “There are around 30 hospitals/nursing homes, 250 clinics and dispensaries being operated in the jurisdiction of the MMC and they generate 300 to 400 kilos of biomedical waste. Most of this waste is found dumped in the municipal bins, which creates difficulties in the final disposal of the waste. The MMC is interested in collecting and disposing this waste separately and making a provision for biomedical waste disposal facilities at Sonsoddo,” the proposal submitted by the MMC to DMA reads. The MMC’s proposal is however silent on how it has arrived at the cost of Rs 40 lakh.

With regard to the garbage compactors, the MMC has enclosed a quotation of a Pune-based company that has tagged the price of a rear loader compactor at Rs 23,49,000 each. While the new compactors will be utilized for the proposed exercise of door-to-door collection of waste, the existing garbage trucks will be used for collecting biomedical waste, the proposal states. MMC sources said that the council was looking at the feasibility of setting up a common centralized biomedical waste disposal facility in the city to be managed by the MMC.

Setting up of such a plant was a pet task of MMC chief Savio Coutinho soon after he took office. Though kept on the backburners ever since, the MMC has reserved some 200 sq m of land at Sonsoddo for the same.

 

Training for Water Board staff

Wednesday, 20 January 2010 05:10 administrator
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The Hindu 20.01.2010

Training for Water Board staff

Special Correspondent

Hyderabad: A nine-day training programme for the 90 newly recruited graduate engineers of HMWSSB commenced here on Tuesday.

The training is intended to upgrade their technical knowhow and skills on various water supply and sewerage parameters right from planning, execution, completion and maintenance stage.

Managing Director M.T. Krishna Babu, who inaugurated the training programme at the Engineering Staff College of India, Gachibowli, said it would improve the participants’ knowledge base so that they can serve the customers at highly acceptable levels.

M. Satyanaryana, director (projects), spoke about the historical developments of Hyderabad water supply system and modern concepts of planning.

Last Updated on Wednesday, 20 January 2010 05:12
 

Urban policy getting ready, says Minister

Tuesday, 19 January 2010 05:26 administrator
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The Hindu 19.01.2010

Urban policy getting ready, says Minister

Staff Correspondent

By 2025, four crore people may be living in urban areas

Workshops held to involve people in framing the policy

HUBLI: Urban Development Minister S. Suresh Kumar has said that the first ever urban development policy in the country being formulated by the Karnataka Government would be “a policy of the urban residents”.

The Minister was inaugurating the second workshop on the draft urban development policy at the Biotech Auditorium in BVB College of Engineering and Technology in Hubli on Monday the minister said that since the end users were the residents of the urban areas, the Government was involving the public and experts to get their suggestions in finalising the policy.

The first workshop was held in Mysore during December.

The Minister said that the average urban population in Karnataka was 34 per cent which was more than the national average of 28 per cent and according to an estimate the urban population in Karnataka was likely to reach 4 crore by 2025.

“Although the cities and towns have been growing, their growth is not supported by improvement in the infrastructure as there is no proper urban planning in place. Through the policy we want to ensure that the urban areas have a more tolerable ambience to live in”, he said.

Mr. Suresh Kumar said there were several problems in urban areas, including solid waste management, haphazard growth, lack of infrastructure and mushrooming of slums.

“Although we have rules and regulations concerning constructions and land development, there is no clear policy,” he said.

Draft policy

The Minister said two more workshops would be held in Mangalore and Gulbarga and then the policy would be placed before the Cabinet after incorporating the suggestions.

Advisor to Chief Minister on urban affairs A. Ravindra made a presentation on the draft policy.

Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Commissioner P.S. Vastrad said that the participants would be split into four groups to discuss various issues concerning the policy and would put forward their team’s suggestions before the concluding ceremony.

Hubli-Dharwad Mayor Viranna Savadi, Belgaum Mayor Ellappa Kurubar, Secretary of Urban Development S.D. Meena, NWKRTC chairman Mallikarjun Savakar, and Chairman of Hubli-Dharwad Urban Development Authority Datta Dorle were present.

Experts on urban development, academics and representatives of NGOs working in the field of urban development participated in the workshop.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 19 January 2010 05:27
 
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