CHENNAI: The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) will soon take over the collection and handling of solid waste in five wards in the Adyar zone, which are currently managed by Ramky Enviro Engineers Limited. Corporation commissioner G Prakash confirmed this to Express on Monday. The move comes after Express recently highlighted data discrepancies in the quantum of garbage.
Data calculated in recent months after the Corporation started micro-management of the waste showed that Chennai city may be generating about 600 tonnes less garbage per day than what was recorded by the Corporation staff and the private contractor over the years.
This has raised suspicion whether the data was exaggerated. The fuel allowance for Corporation staff and the contractual payments for the contractor are calculated, based on the quantum of the garbage handled. While senior officials of the Corporation told Express that the numbers were wrongly projected, Ramky denied the allegations, saying their garbage projection was accurate. This means that just three zones — Adyar, Kodambakkam and Teynampet — that are handled by Ramky, are generating 2,000 tonnes of waste, accounting for 40 per cent of the city’s total garbage.
Prakash said, “Following the allegations, we have decided to take over five wards of the Adyar zone under our control. Data will be closely monitored to check the actual quantum of garbage. Results will be out within a month.”
Senior Corporation officials suspect the garbage could be 25 per cent lesser than what it is being projected. A Corporation official in the Adyar zone said, “We will make use of the micro-composting centres at Saidapet, Thiruvanmiyur and MRC Nagar to treat the wet waste. Rest of it will be weighed before being sent to Perungudi dump-yard.”
However, responding to this, Goutham Reddy, CEO, Ramky, told Express, “All the waste collected is brought to the transfer stations and weighed under the strict supervision of the Corporation. Trucks carrying the waste are once again weighed at Perungudi dumpyard. So, if the Corporation itself takes up these five wards, nothing will change because we have been fair.”