The Hindu 18.02.2014
Waste management gets a fillip
Kottayam municipal authorities, reeling under pressure over their failure to meet commitments on the waste management front, have received a fillip in the form of a green signal from the Central government for a Rs.18.95-crore project submitted earlier.
Speaking to reporters here on Monday, municipal chairman M.P. Santhosh Kumar said the project had been included in the Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme for Small and Medium Towns (UIDSSMT) being implemented by the Union Ministry of Urban Development. The project would have to be implemented within two years. While the Central government would chip in with 80 per cent of the expenses, the rest would have to be borne by the State government and the municipal council equally, he said.
The comprehensive project envisages waste management at source, decentralised waste management, infrastructure and logistics for movement of municipal waste and a major awareness campaign among the population.
The municipality could modernise the drainage system using Rs. 50 lakh earmarked for the purpose, he said. The project also provides for procurement of a JCB, a mini tipper, etc., for transportation of the waste. A compactor vehicle to compress municipal waste while on the move so that its quantum could be lowered was also included in the list, he added.
A special component of the project would be the scheme for Vadavathoor dumping yard, he said. The project has earmarked Rs.2.5 crore for the scientific processing of accumulated waste. The problem of leachet which aggravates during the monsoon could be addressed to some extent through the construction of a scientifically designed 900-metre-long drainage system.
The project envisages a major initiative in the area of waste processing at source. As per the scheme, 4,000 households will be provided biogas plants at a cost of Rs.7 crore.
