THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Despite launching a door-to-door non-biodegradable waste collection system, Thiruvananthapuram corporation continues to grapple with inadequate transportation for carting away tonnes of waste collected by Haritha Karma Sena workers, leading to accumulation of collected waste in every nook and corner of the capital.
In a bid to address the bottleneck, the civic body is now gearing up to procure 40 vehicles for ward-level waste transportation. According to official sources, the project drawn up under the Million-Plus Urban Agglomerations (UAs) scheme is awaiting the approval of the district planning committee (DPC).
A senior official of the health wing under the corporation said the vehicles can be procured and deployed within 45 days of receiving the DPC nod. The move comes in the wake of mounting complaints over waste collected from households being temporarily stacked at public places because of the shortage of vehicles.
“The primary bottleneck in our waste management system has been the lack of adequate transport vehicles. Because vehicles arrive late, Haritha Karma Sena workers are often forced to temporarily stack collected waste in public places and residential localities, leading to public complaints. Procuring dedicated vehicles for all 101 wards will solve this issue permanently,” said M R Gopan, health standing committee chairperson.
The corporation has around 1,201 Haritha Karma Sena members who collect an average of nearly 32 tonnes of waste daily. The long-pending demand for at least one dedicated vehicle in each corporation ward also remains unfulfilled. The 40 vehicles proposed are expected to provide immediate relief.
“Household waste collection is functioning smoothly, but the challenge lies in swift transit. With the addition of these vehicles, waste collected from homes can be dispatched immediately to designated material collection facilities (MCFs), completely putting an end to roadside dumping,” Gopan said.
The corporation currently has four resource recovery facilities (RRFs) and is planning to strengthen infrastructure at both its MCFs and RRFs. An official said the corporation is considering both CNG- and petrol-powered vehicles.
The civic body is also exploring multiple funding avenues to strengthen transportation for waste management, including CITIIS 2.0, corporation own funds, and corporate social responsibility (CSR) support. An official said that 60 more vehicles will be procured under CITIIS 2.0, which will be rolled out in the immediate future.
Mounting complaints
A senior official of the health wing said the vehicles can be procured and deployed within 45 days of receiving the district planning committee nod
Move comes in the wake of complaints over waste collected from houses being temporarily stacked at public places due to the shortage of vehicles