The Hindu 12.02.2010
New garbage truck arrives for trial
Special Correspondent
Airtight doors to minimise odour
Part of efforts to streamline garbage collection
Thiruvananthapuram: The first of the new-generation garbage trucks acquired by the City Corporation arrived here on Thursday for a five-day field trial.
The new truck boasts of a stainless steel loading bay with airtight doors to minimise corrosion and odour. The vehicle has a built-in high-capacity tank to collect leachate from the garbage.
The rear door uses a hydraulic system for closing and the doors on top have rubber beading to ensure that the contents remain airtight. The truck is shaped like a water tank. This ensures that there is no possibility of the leachate leaking out through the sides, Corporation Health Officer D. Sreekumar said.
He said the vehicle would be put to use in the city for five days to ensure that it conforms to the required parameters.
“At the end of the field trial, we will recommend modifications, if required,” Dr. Sreekumar said.
The truck was designed in-house by a team comprising experts drawn from the Corporation, PWD and the College of Engineering. The Corporation has placed orders for nine more trucks, Dr. Sreekumar added.
The augmentation of the Corporation’s fleet is one of the major components of the ongoing project to streamline the garbage collection system in the city.
