The Hindu        05.11.2014 

Proposal to restore 73 toilets in public places and Corpn. schools

To prevent open defecation, the City Municipal Corporation has proposed to carryout restoration works of 73 toilets in public places and corporation schools at a cost of Rs. 201.32 lakh.

No maintenance

The civic body had constructed over 225 toilets for public use in all the four wards. But due to poor quality of construction materials and lack of maintenance, the toilets became barely usable and residents in the area were forced to depend on toilets in nearby areas.

This paved way for open defecation that led to sanitation issue. Hence to ensure sanitation and encourage healthy habits among residents, the Corporation has planned to restore as many as 23 existing toilets would be renovated in Suramangalam Zone at a total cost of Rs. 73.32 lakh, 12 toilets in Hasthampatti Zone at a cost of Rs. 30.05 lakh, 28 toilets in Ammapet Zone at a cost of Rs. 80 lakh and 10 toilets at a cost of Rs. 17.95 lakh in Kondalampatti Zone.

Engineers told The Hindu that cost of repair work for each toilet depends on the level of damage to pipelines, flooring and the building. “A proposal has been prepared for each toilet”, they added. The Corporation has decided to seek allocation from the government for carrying out the restoration work. A resolution to this effect was passed at the council meeting held recently.

The Hindu        05.11.2014 

Sanitary work in 18 wards privatised

Almost a year after the City Corporation Council gave its nod for engaging private contractors to carry out sanitary operations and solid waste management in 18 wards in the city, a Chennai-based private firm has began the operation.

It lined up its men and imported machines when the Minister for Khadi and Village Industries T.P. Poonachi formally launched the outsourcing arrangement on the corporation premises here on Tuesday in the presence of A. Jaya, Mayor and R. Manoharan, Chief Whip.

As per the arrangement, Srinivas Waste Management Services Private Ltd, will employ its employees in garbage collection and cleaning operations in 18 wards - 1 ward in Srirangam zone, six in Ariyamangalam zone, seven in Golden Rock zone, and three in K. Abishekapuram zone besides Central and Chathram bus stands and Gandhi Market in the city.

It has to employ at least 339 workers.

The agency will have to carry out the task of primary collection of garbage, segregation at source into degradable and non-degradable, transport them to corporation dump yards, sweep streets and clean stormwater drains.

V.P. Thandapani, Commissioner, Tiruchi Corporation, told The Hindu that the outsourcing arrangement would cover 77,262 households, Gandhi market and Central and Chathiram bus stands in an area of 50 square km. It was estimated that the firm would handle about 125 metric tonne of garbage daily. It would be segregated into degradable and non-degradable. It would clear about 15 metric tonne of garbage in Gandhi market and two-bus stands alone. A “foolproof arrangement” had been made to measure the garbage collection.

He said that the Corporation would pay Rs.1403 per tonne for garbage collection. The rate was arrived at based on tender process. The arrangement was made basically due to shortage of manpower for solid waste management. As a result, sanitary workers in the 18 wards would be redeployed in other wards for better management.

S. Vengateswaran, General Manager (Operations), SWMS, said it had imported 6 compactor vehicles, 1 hook loader vehicle, and a storm water cleaning crane from Germany. It would place 500 compactor bins and 350 push carts in different parts of 18 wards.

Uniformed-workers would be engaged in door-to-door garbage collection. A software installed with the computers of Corporation would enable it to monitor the garbage cleaning activities effectively.