The Hindu              24.01.2014

MCC proposes another unit to produce compost

The Mysore City Corporation (MCC) has proposed to set up a second unit to produce compost from solid waste in view of the increase in waste generation and to restrict piling up of untreated waste on the premises of the sewage farm in Vidyaranyapuram here.

Currently, the city produces about 435 tonnes of solid waste daily and the MCC is finding it difficult to handle it.

While compost is produced from about 200 tonnes of waste, about 35 to 40 tonnes go to zero waste management units. The rest is dumped at the sewage farm. Though the authorities maintain that they have been taking precautionary measures, local residents are reportedly facing health hazards due to the piling up of garbage at the farm.

MCC Commissioner P.G. Ramesh told The Hindu that the second unit would be set up at the sewage treatment plant at Rayankere near here. “This unit will be able to handle about 200 tonnes of waste. It will put an end to dumping of untreated waste,” he said.

The unit is estimated to cost around Rs. 5 crore. A detailed project report would be prepared and sent to the government for approval, he added. “Besides streamlining waste management, this proposal also brings revenue to the MCC.”

He said Mysore had five zero waste management plants and five more would soon start operations soon.

MCC’s attempts to turn waste into useful resources have been unsuccessful. It planned to convert waste into energy a few years ago and proposed a plant for producing liquefied biogas from waste. It sought advice from Eskilstuna Municipality in Sweden. But, the project could not make headway though a delegation from MCC visited Sweden to study the system there. It also met representatives from South Korea to discuss technology for generating electricity from waste.

When asked about these proposals, the Commissioner said, “We found the concepts unviable here and therefore are not going ahead with the earlier plans.”

The Times of India                24.01.2014 

NGO fines Rs 20k for littering city

NASHIK: Amulya Clean Up Services, an NGO, has fined 20,000 people for littering the city in a period of almost a year. The Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) had appointed the NGO last year to make the city garbage-free by way of fining offenders.

After carrying out awareness campaigns amongst citizens, the NGO began collecting fines from defaulters. However, Amulya came under the scanner of activists and corporators, who complained that the NGO was not visible in the city doing the work it was assigned. The NGO then decided to revamp its style of functioning by adding proper uniforms, identity cards, more volunteers and strict enforcement of fine from December 1. The new system, which came into force only this January, is to yet kick off full-fledged - only 52 volunteers on the field against its target of 100. Earlier, there were only 38 volunteers on field. The NGO began its work from January 26 last year.

"We have not been able to do much in the last 2-3 months. We have been training our staff for strict enforcement of fines. From this January we have gradually started with the new system and will be implementing it regularly at the earliest," coordinator of the NGO Rahul Gujrathi said. "With the mayor's instructions to create more awareness against littering among citizens in select prabhags, we have got 70 people working on the project, including 20 women volunteers and 10 office staff. The awareness drive will continue from February 1 to 9, after which, we will start fining offenders." Responding on the complaints that the NGO's volunteers were not seen on the river banks where garbage, nirmalya and other waste were being dumped rampantly, Gujrathi said, "Out of the 30 women of self-help groups, and the sanitary employees, who are cleaning the banks of the river, 10 will work for us and collect fine from offenders. But this will happen only after February 10. We needed the aid of women volunteers as the river banks are mainly filled with the local women cleaning clothes and utensils. In the past year, from January 26 last year to January 14, we have fined 20,000 people for littering, spitting and dirtying the city."

An NMC official informed that the NGO had collected Rs 28.77 lakh in a year. "While 60% of the amount will be given to the NGO, 40% will be pocketed by the NMC," the official said.

Fines were collected from people throwing garbage on the roads instead of disposing it in garbage vans, defecating, spitting, littering, dumping construction material on the roadside, throwing nirmalya and other things into the river. The drive was carried out near Mahamarg Bus Stand, Central Bus Stand, Pathardi Phata, Ramkund and Muktidham areas.