The Deccan Chronicle 01.12.2010
Sack Neel Metal: CouncillorsNov. 30: Councillors of Chennai corporation, cutting across party lines, have demanded that the contract with Delhi-based Neel Metal Fanalca be snapped since it had made a mess of the waste management in the city. However the mayor, Mr Subramanian, turned down the demand and said that the NMF contract can’t be terminated as litigation in this regard was pending with the court.
No sooner did the council meet begin that the ward members raised allegations criticising the NMF for not doing its work. The opposition floor leader Saidai P. Ravi said garbage stagnation was occurring in many zones outsourced to NMF and pointed out that the majority of the councillors had opposed the functioning of the firm.
“The public and the ward members will be happy if the civic body’s staff replace the private operator and clear the garbage,” he said. Reiterating that elections were approaching, he urged the mayor to solve the chaos in waste management at the earliest.
“Councillors are facing the public’s wrath for NMF’s mistakes,” he said. Responding to the complaints, Mr Subramanian said an all-party meeting would be held soon with the top brass of the NMF to reduce the number of complaints.
He added that more interactions will be held to improve waste management in the city. To a query on the proposed recruitment of 5,800 conservancy workers for corporation, he said that the recruitment was stalled following a litigation filed by the private firm.
However Mr Subramanian did not give a concrete response to the issue and maintained that steps will be taken to improve the functioning of NMF. According to sources, the city corporation collects about 3,400 tonnes of garbage daily in coordination with Neel Metal Fanalca and without any treatment just dumps the waste in Pallikarnai marshland and Kodungaiyur dumping yard.
Meanwhile, the councillors also complained to the mayor at the meet that mosquito menace was increasing in the city.
