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War within MC over water meters

Sunday, 13 September 2009 16:09 administrator
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The Times of India 13.09.2009

War within MC over water meters

Rajan Walia, TNN 13 September 2009, 03:49am IST

CHANDIGARH: Once again, UT municipal commissioner Roshan Sunkaria and mayor Kamlesh are at loggerheads.

This time, the issue is related to installation of water meters in 22,000 houses in UT?s rehabilitation colonies, slums and villages.

The municipal corporation has been losing revenue worth crores of rupees annually for the past 10 years, as residents of these areas use water without paying for it.

The MC’s memorandum of understanding with the Centre requires it to take reformist measures for earning higher revenue if it wants to avail the grants under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).

Sunkaria has been supporting the installation of meters in these houses.

However, Congress councillors and the mayor are apparently not very supportive of the move.

Nominated councillor AP Sanwaria said, ‘We have raised this issue in MC house many times. However, the mayor is just not willing to allow discussion on the matter.’

Earlier, Kamlesh and Sunkaria had been in strong opposition when the mayor had sought certain powers. Sunkaria had not accepted that demand saying municipal rules did not allow for it.

Residents in urban areas of the UT have to pay for the water as houses there have meters installed.

Kamlesh said installing meters in colonies, slums and villages did not make sense as urban residents get far better supply.

‘The day they get supply like their urban counterparts, we will start charging them according to the meters. But certainly not before that,’ insisted the mayor.

Sunkaria admitted that the mayor had not been allowing the issue to be discussed in MC’s general house.

He stated they would try to have the matter raised during the MC house’s monthly meeting in September end.

 

Margao Municipal Council decides to go ahead with Plan-B

Sunday, 13 September 2009 16:01 administrator
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The Times of India 13.09.2009

Margao Municipal Council decides to go ahead with Plan-B

13 September 2009, 05:48am IST

MARGAO: While chief minister, Digambar Kamat, is scheduled to convene a meeting of Congress Curtorim MLA, Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco and BJP MLA from Fatorda, Damu Naik, in the coming week to discuss the handing over of the Sonsoddo project either to IL&FS and Fomento or Ramky Enviro Eng Pvt Ltd, the Margao Municipal Council (MMC) has decided to go ahead with putting into place its Plan-B in view of the mounting garbage at the dump site.

The plan entails hiring of 20 workers to do the daily segregation of waste at the site. With the services of 25 daily workers withdrawn four months ago as they had completed 240 days of work and under employment norms would have had to be regularized by the council, around 6,000 tonnes of fresh garbage has mounted at the site.

Council chairperson, Savio Coutinho, said on Saturday that the 20 workers would be engaged in the coming week. "We are trying to hire the same workers who were engaged earlier as they are trained and the work will be done faster," said sanitary inspector, Viraj Arabekar.

The interim plan also involves recruiting some 50 daily-wage workers to lift the city's garbage everyday. With a paucity of workers, not all public garbage bins are cleared everyday, leading to accumulation and their spillage by stray animals. The council has faced flak from locals, the opposition and even the police for this.

Meanwhile, chief officer, P Acharya, said the wet waste in the market area could be segregated and locally composted. The composting units in the locality, however, have to be completed first and instructions have been issued accordingly. While there is some protest on the composting of animal waste, the segregation of vegetable waste and composting will take place to reduce the load of garbage being dumped at Sonsoddo.

As for the long-pending door-to-door segregation, the council will require 200-250 workers on a daily basis, said sources. Waste segregation at source is mandated as per MSW rules 2000 and is presently under way only in the electricity employees colony and at housing board. "We will have to understand the logistics first," said Acharya. Describing the commercial city as spread out over a large area, with some scattered areas, he said the feasibility of such segregation was being studied in detail.
 

Maintenance of garbage tractors cause for concern

Sunday, 13 September 2009 07:14 administrator
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The Hindu 13.09.2009

Maintenance of garbage tractors cause for concern

 

Serena Josephine M. and Priti Narayan

Photo: T. Singaravelou

Crying for attention: Maintenance and monitoring of tractors collecting garbage in Puducherry need to be addressed at the earliest. —

PUDUCHERRY: Three days ago, a tractor under contract with the Puducherry Municipality, ran into a tea shop at Nellithope, injuring two persons. In August, a five-year-old boy was killed in an accident involving a tractor on Mahatma Gandhi Road.

Such incidents have raised concern over the maintenance of private tractors engaged in clearing garbage in the Puducherry and Oulgaret Municipalities. Residents stress that the vehicles should be checked on a regular basis to ensure proper maintenance.

There are 64 private tractors functioning in 42 wards of the Puducherry Municipality for garbage collection under the 24-hour scheme, self-help groups’ scheme and ‘Shuddham.’ The municipality has no tractor of its own as most of the vehicles have been condemned, an official said.

According to officials of the Oulgaret Municipality, the local body owns 10 tractors, while around 57 private vehicles are under contract for door-to-door garbage collection.

Local bodies are required to monitor the functioning of these vehicles. “We are taking up surprise visits to check for proper maintenance. Action is being taken if the private contractors violate contract terms and the amount to be paid for maintenance deducted,” a senior official of the Puducherry Municipality said.

Meanwhile, officials of the Oulgaret Municipality said that there are around 30 supervisors and four sanitary inspectors who monitor the functioning of these tractors. The vehicles are frequently sent to the municipal workshop or authorised dealer for maintenance.

But, councillors of both the municipalities said that such measures are not being followed on a regular basis. A.R. Selvaganapathy, ward councillor of the Puducherry Municipality, said that the local body was not checking whether the tractors were properly maintained. Timely disbursal of funds to the contractors alone would help in ensuring proper maintenance.

“The rent for the tractor, salary for workers and diesel cost are not disbursed on time. For those under the 24-hour scheme, which is being implemented in eight wards in the town limits, funds are being released only once a year. However, the self-help group members receive money once in six months. How is maintenance possible,” Mr. Selvaganapathy questioned.

Ward councillor of the Oulgaret Municipality A. Devasagayam said that one person was killed in an accident on Kamaraj Salai involving a tractor of the Oulgaret Municipality around a year and half ago.

He stressed the need to check whether all tractor drivers had valid licences. He also emphasised the need for the drivers to get enough rest and work in shifts.

A separate, dedicated junior engineer must be instated for supervising maintenance of private and municipality-owned tractors, he said. A separate private tractors maintenance wing would also help in monitoring the vehicles.

Last Updated on Sunday, 13 September 2009 07:18
 
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