The Hindu 11.11.2009
Solid Waste Management Project set to take off
Rajesh B. Nair
| Panel formed to select firm for collecting, depositing waste |
11 agencies found eligible to take part in bidding Agency will be selected to work on PPP model
PUDUCHERRY: The much-awaited Solid Waste Management Project for Puducherry, Oulgaret Municipalities and adjoining areas taken up by the Local Administration Department will finally take off, with the department constituting a technical committee to select the private firm for collecting, transporting and depositing the solid waste.
Fifteen firms responded to the expression of interest invited by the government three months ago. Of the 15, eleven agencies have been found to be eligible to participate in bidding.
“One of the first tasks before the committee is to get proposal from 11 firms found eligible to partner with the government in implementing the project. We would be soon asking them to furnish technical and financial details,” a senior government official told The Hindu.
Apart from government officials, a managing director of an environmental firm who had served as technical advisor to Kochi Corporation in implementing solid waste management programme, is also a member of the committee.
Based on the merit of the proposal, the agency would be selected to participate in implementing the project on Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. Besides covering the entire area that comes within the Puducherry and Oulgaret Municipalities, it would cover places in Villianur and Ariankuppam commune panchayats.
In implementing the project, the government’s task would be to provide logistic support, including purchase of equipment, bins and vehicles for collection and transportation of solid waste.
The government would also develop the site identified at Kurumbapet to deposit and process the solid waste.
The Local Administration Department has sent proposal to purchase tipper trucks, dumper placers, haulage trucks, tractors, compactor vehicles and metallic storage bins. They also planned to procure 400 bins of 60-litre capacity and another 500 bins with wheels of 240-litre capacity.
Estimated cost towards purchase of vehicles had been worked out to be Rs.8.75 crore and for bins Rs.5.04 crore. The Centre had sanctioned Rs.49.66 crore under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission for carrying out the project. Already, more than Rs.9 crore had been released as first instalment, sources in the government said.
