The Hindu 03.05.2011
Waste management scheme may not become a reality soon
MCC likely to reject the proposals of bidders owing to a lapse
Garbage dumped on roadside near Urwa Chilimbi in Mangalore on Monday. — Photo: R. Eswarraj
The three-package solid waste management scheme of the Mangalore City Corporation (MCC) is unlikely to become a reality soon.
After the State government approved the scheme on July
14, 2010, the civic body invited bids to implement it this January. It
had shortlisted three bidders. Now, the corporation is likely to reject
the proposals of the bidders because of a lapse on their part, sources
in the corporation told The Hindu.
Since its formation, the scheme has seen many ups and
downs. In mid-January 2010, the corporation invited bids for the scheme
after obtaining the approval of the State Cabinet. A few days later, the
government asked the corporation to revise the scheme citing some
lapses. The changes were approved by the government in July last.
The sources said that an evaluation committee set up by
the corporation to study the three proposals found that the bidders did
not meet the conditions mentioned for handling vehicles.
The scheme proposed compulsory installation of global
positioning system in the vehicles transporting solid waste from wards
to the dumping yard at Pachchanady.
This had not been met. Hence, the corporation had no option but to invite fresh bids, the sources said.
Corporation Commissioner K.N. Vijayaprakash went on
record in the MCC Council meeting on Friday last that the scheme was
being implemented for the first time in the State.
The civic body was taking due care to implement it. It
would take at least three more months to implement the scheme, he had
said.
Features
Other features of the scheme are elimination of multiple
handling of solid waste in the 60 wards; elimination of user fee for
collection of solid waste from their doorstep and compulsory cleaning of
the beaches.
Under the scheme, the 60 wards will be divided into
north and south zones for managing solid waste, with the former having
29 wards in a package, and the latter 31.
The successful bidders would have to take up
door-to-door collection of waste. In addition, they would have to take
up sweeping of streets, removing weeds, cleaning road dividers, and
transport waste to the compost plant and dumping yard, the sources said.
The third package would cover operation and maintenance
of the compost plant and the sanitary landfill site at Panchchanady. The
term of contractors under the existing eight-package scheme would end
in June, the sources said.
Cess
The corporation has begun collecting solid waste
management cess while accepting property tax for 2011-12 even as the
implementation of the scheme is pending. As the cess collection is to be
discontinued if it is implemented in this financial year, the
corporation wants to adjust the cess amount collected while collecting
property tax for 2012-13.