Urban News

The Hindu       16.06.2010

Ramky to take up dump yard development

Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD: Ramky, the firm which bagged the Integrated Solid Waste Management Project (ISWMP) for the city, is to be allowed to take up development of the Jawaharnagar dump yard and lifting garbage in the suburbs where adequate vehicles were not available to start with.

GHMC Commissioner Sameer Sharma told corporators on the second day of the general body meeting on Tuesday that the government had already notified Infrastructure Corporation of A.P. (INCAP) to function as an Independent Engineer (IE) till an IE is selected through bidding to avoid delay in commencement of the project.

Competitive bidding

He told agitated Telugu Desam and BJP members that Ramky had bagged the project through competitive bidding and the firm could be asked to make a presentation to all members.

“I could ask them to take you all to Delhi and Mumbai where they are doing similar projects,” he said.

Treatment and scientific disposal of waste was imperative in Jawaharnagar since the locals were getting restive about the present system of dumping, he said.

There were heated debates over various issues but the Commissioner intervened whenever replies by his senior staff did not satisfy members.

He readily agreed for formation of special committees for overseeing storm water drains improvement works and review the desilting work as TD floor leader Singireddy Srinivas Reddy, MIM's Mirza Mustafa Baig and others alleged that not even 40 per cent work was done.

Responding to a suggestion by MIM's Akbaruddin Owaisi, Mr. Sharma also agreed not to renew any leased land contracts and utilise any vacant site taken back for playgrounds, parks or even to build houses for the poor.

Earlier, Mr. Owaisi joined others in demanding all markets be maintained properly and renew the plan to develop modern markets under the public, private partnership mode.

‘Lame excuse'

He also blasted officials for delay in storm water drain repairs and pointed out that encroachments excuse was a lame one since many were ready to vacate.

“For the last 10 years this work has been kept hanging despite sufficient funds and people are suffering,” he said. Mr. Sharma said some works proposed on the four main drains will be completed in six months.

The Hindu      11.06.2010

Pathanamthitta turning dumping yard

Radhakrishnan Kuttoor

PATHANAMTHITTA: Callous dumping of waste in public places by the local bodies has been posing an alarming public health risk in Pathanamthitta. With the onset of monsoon, viral fever has begun to spread in an epidemic proportion in many parts of the district.

The highly literate district has been putting up with environmental pollution owing to the alleged negligence on the part of the civic authorities and the official machinery in ensuring proper waste disposal, sanitation and pollution control.

Irresponsible dumping of waste in public places has converted the major towns of Thiruvalla, Pathanamthitta, Adoor, Kozhencherry, Ranni, Mallappally and Konni literally into dumping yards.

The Pathanamthitta municipality continues to dump all sorts of solid waste in the open yards near the private bus stand, behind the municipal office and along Ring Road. The Thiruvalla municipality continues to dump the waste collected from different parts of the town in the wetlands close to a private medical college.

Major panchayats of Kozhencherry, Konni, Pandalam and Mallappally too generate huge quantities of solid waste and the absence of proper sewage disposal mechanism has been the bane of these panchayats.