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Garbage lies uncollected in Thrissur for the seventh day

Wednesday, 22 July 2009 06:51 administrator
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The Hindu 22.07.2009

Garbage lies uncollected in Thrissur for the seventh day

Staff Reporter

— Photo: K. K. Najeeb

HAZARDUOUS: Residents helplessly watch as water seeping from waste flows near their house in Lalur, Thrissur, on Tuesday.

Thrissur: As efforts to pump out waste water from the flooded trenching ground of Lalur dump yard continues, waste disposal from the Corporation areas was disrupted for the seventh consecutive day on Tuesday.

The entire city has rotten garbage lying scattered. Overflowing garbage bins and heaps of waste pose a serious health hazard for city dwellers. Intermittent showers worsened the condition.

Meanwhile, Lalur residents reiterated their stand that until the Corporation and the authorities found a lasting solution to their problem, no vehicle would be allowed to dump waste at Laloor.

An estimated 160 tonnes of waste is generated in the Corporation limits every day. It is dumped at Lalur. Kudumbashree workers dump an additional 25 tonnes there every day.

“Tonnes of the hazardous hospital waste too is dumped here everyday. This is a fight by people who live dangerously close to the waste,” said T. K. Vasu, chairman of the Lalur Malineekarana Virudha Samara Samithy. The dump yard, he alleged, posed a threat to the environment and their health. Meanwhile, District Collector V. K. Baby asked the Pollution Control Board and the Clean Kerala Mission to submit an urgent report on the measures to address the problems at Lalur.

At the meeting, attended by the Environmental Engineer of Kerala State Pollution Control Board T. Chitra Kumari, Clean Kerala Mission Director Ajaykumar Varma and Corporation Secretary M. R. Abhilash, the District Collector urged officials to submit the report within a day considering the seriousness of the problem.

Assistance and directions would be given to the Corporation on the basis of the report, the Collector said.

The BJP on Tuesday staged a protest in front of the Corporation office by performing a symbolic Vavu Bali condemning the alleged inefficiency of the Corporation in handling the waste disposal issue.

Last Updated on Wednesday, 22 July 2009 06:52
 

Racing to complete Jn-NURM projects

Tuesday, 21 July 2009 12:46 administrator
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Times of India 21.07.2009

Racing to complete Jn-NURM projects

MYSORE: The city, which has drawn a nil in Jn-NURM projects among 63 urban places implementing the Centre's ambitious project for urban renewal, is seeking to make amends.

Running against deadline, the officials are seeking additional manpower to manage Jn-NURM projects. And, the ball is now in the court of government.

Additional technical staff are sought to be put on the job so that they can concentrate on the work and complete the works on time. The idea is to allocate the works so that pressure on the officials is eased. The Karnataka Slum Clearance Board is a case in point. The board is engaged in housing projects worth Rs 209 crore for slum dwellers in three phases, which is tasked to an executive engineer who is also in charge of eight districts. And, the housing project for the slum-dwellers is suffering.

The Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development and Finance Corporation, the state-level nodal agency for the Jn-NURM, is seeking its intervention to post superintendent engineer exclusively to take care of the housing projects for slum-dwellers. An additional executive engineer and two assistant executive engineers are also sought. The reason is that the team that is handing the job has not attended to projects that are worth few crores.

DC P Manivannan, who is Jn-NURM special officer, has approached the government arguing the case for additional manpower. He has written letters to the senior officials seeking them to help Mysore out of the mess. The city has failed to complete even one project. Seven projects are pending with the Union government and waiting for clearance. "Going by this phase, Mysore can never be able to complete the works undertaken. It will be a big loss for the city in case the funds are not utilized to put in place infrastructure to take the load," a senior official explained to The Times of India.
What the official machinery is betting on is appointment of senior officials on temporary basis like four years to attend to the job and get done with it. Like posting of officials to take care of three different projects awarded to the MCC by the Union government including Rs 100 crore project to put in place storm water drain system and Rs 31-crore solid waste management project. These works are now taken care of by the superintendent engineer and assisted by an executive engineer, who also have to manage the city affairs. What the officials are looking for are posting of two executive engineers to manage the three projects taken up by the MCC. This can be done under the Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act, the official stated.
 

Panchkula MC to propose house tax abolition

Tuesday, 21 July 2009 12:43 administrator
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Times of India 21.07.2009
Panchkula MC to propose house tax abolition
PANCHKULA: Panchkula municipal council is to send a proposal for abolition of house tax in the town to the state government. A resolution in this regard was passed by the house in its meeting held here on Monday. The meeting was presided over by acting president BB Singhal.

In its first meeting attended by 31 councillors following president Ravinder Rawal’s removed by MC tribunal, the house also passed the resolution for substantial increase in honorarium of the councillor.

While house tax on self-occupied properties was abolished by the state last year, MC wanted to abolish it completely in the town on the lines of the adjoining city of Chandigarh.

Singhal said the resolution introduced by BJP councillors was passed and it is now at the state’s discretion to approve it. It would, however, not be an easy task for state government, as it would need an amendment in the MC Act. Alternative sources of income would be an issue.

Increase in the financial powers of the council has also to be sought, Singhal said. The municipal councils were empowered to spend Rs 3 lakh 20 years ago. Now, with the passage of time, requirements have increased manifold, hence the limit needs to be increased, Singhal said while introducing the agenda.
Last Updated on Tuesday, 21 July 2009 12:46
 
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