The Hindu                21.05.2013

Waste processing pact extended by two years

Staff Reporter

Decision taken at council meeting on Monday

The City Corporation decided to extend the contract with a private company for running the Njeliyanparambu waste processing plant by two years.

The decision was taken at a council meeting held here on Monday.

The Mumbai-based company ILFS (Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services limited) has been running the plant for the past five years.

June expiry

The contract with the company which took over the plant in June 2008, was set to expire in June this year.

As per the agreement, for the first year the payment will be the same as the existing royalty payment of Rs. 40,000 per month and for the second year, there will be an increase of ten per cent to this amount.

Right of company

The company will have the right to run the plant until the commissioning of a new plant at Njeliyanparambu or until the Corporation finds a new agency to run the plant.

No arrangements

The Corporation had not made any alternate arrangement in view of the contract expiry as plans were afoot for a modern waste treatment plant in the location. However, a delay in the plan made it necessary to extend the contract.

The Corporation had requested the company to continue operations until the new plant is commissioned but the company insisted on a contract of at least 2 years.

No discussion

In the council meeting, the opposition councillors raised the issue that they did not get enough time to discuss the contract and that the subject reached the standing committee on health only after the Mayor had taken a decision on extending the contract.

They also said that the existing plant is of very low efficiency.

However, the ruling party councillors including the Deputy Mayor P.T. Abdul Latheef were of the opinion that the existing arrangement was satisfactory.

The Hindu                21.05.2013

Municipality to invite tenders for capping waste at Vadavathoor

Won’t be able to finish work before the rains, says Opposition.

The monsoon is round the corner but the Kottayam Municipality is yet to make a headway in finding a long-lasting solution the waste accumulated at the dumping yard at Vadavathoor.

The Municipal council, at a meeting on Monday, decided to invite tenders for capping the garbage at the yard.

While the decision to cap the accumulated waste was taken over seven months ago, the municipality failed to make headway. The idea of employing the capping technique was made following public agitations against the apathy of the authorities towards the plight of the residents in the surrounding areas. The decision comes after the State government assured the local inhabitants of speedy solution.

It had been proposed to implement the project in association with the Suchitwa Mission. The project is expected to cost around Rs. 2 crore as per preliminary estimates. It would involve laying multiple layers of soil over the garbage that is accumulated within a certain area and consolidated. A fixed slope will be maintained to ensure the flow of liquid waste that will be collected by a treatment plant. In addition, pipes would be laid horizontally and vertically within the garbage mass in order to collect the naturally-formed methane gas that can be used for various uses, including lighting.

The council meet also decided to replicate the positive results attained by five other municipalities in the State that had implemented the method. Meanwhile, members of the opposition LDF front claimed that their views had not been considered while finalising the sub-committee that will oversee the project implementation. A few members pointed out that the tendering procedures would consume close to a month and the monsoon was likely to commence by then.

A few members pointed out that the tendering procedures would consume close to a month and the monsoon was likely to commence by then.