The Hindu 04.04.2013
More vehicles to tackle waste
The Chennai Corporation will soon get Rs. 10 crore for procuring compactors and bins to clear garbage in the city’s added zones.
Municipal
administration minister K.P. Munusamy, who announced this on Tuesday in
the Assembly, said the expanded areas alone generated 500 tonnes of
garbage and additional equipment was necessary to clear this.
The
Corporation will procure 50 compactors with a capacity of six tonnes
each and 750 compactor bins with a capacity of 1,100 litres each.
At
present, 320 compactors, 37 haulage tipper trucks and 177 tipper
lorries are deployed across the city to collect and dispose nearly 4,700
metric tonnes of waste every day. A total of 17,026 conservancy
workers, both direct and contract labourers, are deployed to carry out
operations.
Once the additional vehicles are
procured, the civic body would be able to collect 5,200 tonnes of waste,
including those in added areas.
According to
sources, the requirement for equipment and bins was assessed recently.
“There was a shortfall of compactors and bins and so they are being
procured now. Meanwhile, to keep the roads and bins clean we have taken
vehicles and manpower on contract wherever necessary,” said a source.
The
assessment was done ward-wise and zone-wise and a decision had been
taken to have a 20 per cent surplus of manpower as well as vehicles
since there has always been a shortfall of 20 per cent due to
absenteeism and maintenance of vehicles. “In the past there has not been
a thorough assessment of men and vehicles for clearing garbage. But now
we have ward-wise requirements,” the source explained.
