The Hindu 16.12.2010
LAMPS needs clarity: Mayor
Special Correspondent
|
Meeting discusses socio-technological aspects of the project |
—Photo: K.K. Najeeb
Garbage issue: Mayor I.P. Paul, CPI(M) district secretary Baby John and
scientist Pathiyur Gopinath at a public meeting in Thrissur on Wednesday
to discuss Lalur model project.
THRISSUR: Thrissur Mayor I.P. Paul has said the Lalur Model Project
for Solid Waste Management (LAMPS) needs clarity. He was addressing a
public meeting organised here on Wednesday by the Thrissur Corporation
to discuss the socio-technological aspects of LAMPS.
“Some details in the memorandum of agreement (MoA) signed between the
Corporation and the Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) for
implementation of the project should be re-evaluated. Only a
comprehensive study can yield clues about how to go about the project,”
he said.
The four-hour discussion witnessed heated exchanges between
supporters and critics of LAMPS. The critics contended that Pathiyur
Gopinath, chief coordinator of LAMPS, could not convince the public why
LAMPS was claimed to be better than the other proposed waste management
projects.
The critics questioned Mr. Gopinath over the feasibility of the
project and its high cost. They wanted to know the specific duties of
the Corporation in implementing LAMPS.
The meeting witnessed uproarious scenes when members of the Lalur
Malineekarana Virudha Samara Samithi, which backed the project, pledged
support to Mr. Gopinath. The Samithi threatened to resume from January 1
its protest measures, including blocking vehicles transporting waste to
Lalur, if LAMPS was not implemented.
A few participants maintained that if LAMPS was not properly
implemented, the proposed six regional waste processing centres would
degenerate to garbage dumps.
Responding to a demand that a model waste management project should
be implemented on the KAU campus, Mr. Gopinath said, “I cannot make
changes in the project as it has already been approved with the
involvement of the State government, the previous Corporation council,
KAU and the High Court.”
