THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As announced earlier, the City Corporation will resume the transportation of garbage to the Vilappilsala solid waste treatment plant on Monday.
‘’The garbage trucks will run between 11 am and 5 pm for security reasons. We will carry only less than 90 tonnes, the maximum quantity fixed by the High Court,’’ Mayor K Chandrika told reporters here on Sunday.
She said the Corporation will also transport 300 tonnes of clay to the plant for scientific disposal of the waste accumulated at the plant.
On the protests of the locals and the Vilappilsala Samara Samithi, the Mayor said that it was for the Government to provide security for the Corporation staff. ‘’The interim order of the High Court had asked the police to give protection to the Corporation staff to reopen the plant and resume the activities there. It is the duty of the State Government and the Home Department to extend all support to us,’’ she said.
The Mayor said that the reopening of the plant had become essential since the city was in the grip of contagious diseases.
‘‘Around 250 cases of dengue fever have been reported in a month. Sixty-seven dengue cases and 11 cases of chikungunya were reported on Saturday alone,’’ she said.
‘’The waste accumulated in various parts of the city should be disposed of on a war footing to check the spread of the contagious diseases,’’ she added.
Leachate Plant
The Mayor said that the leachate treatment plant at Vilappilsala had already started functioning. ‘’Once the plant becomes fully operational, the ‘said problems’ of the locals could be completely avoided,’’ she said.
Following the High Court order, the City Corporation had reopened the plant on February 4. ‘’During the past week, the Corporation staff were engaged in processing the garbage accumulated at the plant. This can be completed when the plant gets sufficient clay for sanitary land-filling activities,’’ she said.
Alternatives
The Mayor said that Corporation was actively pursuing options for source-level processing of waste. ‘’The Corporation will install pipe-compost units in one lakh residences once the project earns the consent of the LSG Ministry,’’ she said.
‘’The Corporation has also received a good response from flats to set up waste disposal units. Around 55 flats have already set up the units and others are following suit,’’ she said.
‘’The Corporation is ready to give assistance to set up waste disposal units if the Government provides financial assistance. The location for installing two plastic shredding units of the Corporation will be finalised in a meeting with the Government on Tuesday,’’ she said.
The project to set up waste treatment plants in the city markets is at a standstill as the Socio-Economic Foundation, the agency concerned, has asked for a 15-per cent escalation in charges, the Mayor said.