The Hindu               22.01.2014

Coimbatore Corporation begins to process wet waste at crematorium

Following the initiative to segregate waste at ward 23 in R.S. Puram, the Coimbatore Corporation has taken the next step by processing wet waste.

According to Corporation Commissioner G. Latha, the civic body had started the process a week ago, on an experimental basis, at the Chokkampudur crematorium, where the civic body had dug three pits to process the waste.

The area councillor S. Manimeghalai said that conservancy workers collected two small truck loads of wet waste, took it to the crematorium, where they dumped it in the first pit.

The workers then sprinkled effective micro-organism solution to hasten the process of composting.

They also topped it with dry waste and dried and powdered cow dung to complete the process.

Thereafter, every day, the workers would stir the waste till the 20{+t}{+h}day.

They would then transfer the waste to the second pit.

Once the experiment was complete, the workers would dig a bigger pit to accommodate the entire ward’s wet waste. Ms. Manimeghalai said that the initiative had provided a solution in wet waste management, which became necessary after the Corporation and residents came together to segregate waste.

Every day, the workers in the ward collected six-and-half to seven tonnes of dry waste, which they sold to a private firm which paid the workers at Rs. 3 a kg.

Fuel

Ms. Latha said that the local processing of wet waste also helped the Corporation save on fuel in that the civic body need not transport the waste till the compost yard in Vellalore.

The motto was local solution for local problem.

If the civic body found the process successful, it could consider replicating it in other wards, starting with the four wards where it had begun waste segregation.

The Hindu               22.01.2014

Santhome Road to be widened

Aloysius Xavier Lopez

The 1.6-km-long Santhome High Road is all set to be the first among the major roads suffering from traffic bottlenecks to be widened by Chennai Corporation.

The civic body will soon commence preparation of a land plan schedule for widening the stretch from Light House to Foreshore Estate. Following the preparation of the schedule, the district collectorate will appoint a special officer for the land acquisition process.

“The land acquisition will take a long time. Transfer of Development Rights could be a good option if land owners cooperate. The widening can be done in a few months. Option is left to the land owners,” said an official of Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA).

The crucial link for the city’s southern zones passes through wards 125 and 126. Councillors of the wards said there was heavy traffic congestion on the road and the widening would have a positive impact on the neighbourhood.

“Residents need a wider road. But the widening should be done without any loss to land owners,” said Vijaya Lakshmi, councillor of ward 126.

“The Corporation should convince the land owners of the importance of widening the road. Otherwise residents may not accept it,” said R. Bommi, councillor of ward 125.

As a number of educational institutions and heritage buildings are located on the road, the Corporation will also have to obtain clearance from the Heritage Conservation Committee of the Chennai metropolitan area.

At a council meeting last year, the Corporation had announced its plan to widen a number of the city’s major roads that witness traffic bottlenecks. The Corporation had already decided to use development rights certificates (DRCs) to facilitate implementation of its road-widening projects. The Corporation council will recommend issuing DRCs to property owners likely to be affected by widening of other roads including Nelson Manickam Road, VOC Road in George Town, Paper Mills Road, Kaliamman Koil Street and Red Hills High Road. DRCs entitle owners to claim additional built-up area (floor space index) in lieu of the plot of land handed over. Based on the recommendation of the Corporation, CMDA will issue DRCs to affected residents. 

The 1.6-km-long high road is the first among major roads suffering from traffic bottlenecks to be widened by Corporation.