BHUBANESWAR: The State Government is planning to develop a 12-acre site near Tulsadeipur under Daruthenga panchayat on the outskirts of the City for dumping solid waste.
An approach road will be developed in the area at a cost of around Rs2.75 crore as there is no connectivity to the site. Tulsadeipur is three km from the current landfill ground at Bhuasuni. It is not an alternative site. If dumping is not possible at Bhuasuni, Tulsadeipur site can be used, BMC Commissioner Dr Krishan Kumar said.
During the monthly BMC meeting, Kumar said steps have been taken to develop a site office, water facilities, deployment of security guards and provisions are being made for supply of drinking water at Tulsadeipur site. A beautification project with massive plantation on 12 acre of the total 61 acre at Bhuasuni landfill site named ‘Bhuasuni Vatika’ will be developed at a cost of Rs37 lakh. BMC will seek technical assistance from Odisha Forest Development Corporation for the project.
Users’ Fee
Mayor AN Jena clarified that users’ fee collection is one of the mandatory reforms suggested by the Central Government. Previously, during the Centre’s flagship programme JNNURM, the civic bodies were asked to collect users’ fee to meet the solid waste management (MSW) expenses. Currently in the AMRUT mission too, the Centre has instructed urban local bodies to stick to the reform guidelines by collecting users’ fees for efficient management of MSW, he said.
Apart from users’ fee, ‘plastic use fee’ will also be implemented in the City soon, the Mayor said. As per the fresh guidelines issued by the Centre, commercial establishments generating plastic waste will have to pay a minimum fee of Rs48,000 per year. A by-law is being prepared for implementation of the plastic use fee in the City. The new measure is aimed at discouraging plastic and polythene use.
Sources said BMC spends around Rs45 to Rs50 crore (at the rate of Rs2.90 per kg) in a year for door-to-door collection and disposal of solid waste. “If a part of the money invested in MSW is collected through user fee, BMC will be able to save a lot for developmental activities,” Kumar added.