The Mangalore City Corporation has invited bids for the three-package solid waste management scheme. At present, the city corporation is operating a six-package system.
The notification inviting bids for the three-package scheme was issued last Friday.
According to it, bidders have to submit their proposals by February 20. Technical bids will be opened the same day.
The State Cabinet recently approved the proposal.
According to the revised scheme, the 60 wards in the corporation will be divided into north and south zones, with the former having 29 wards in a package, and the latter with 31 wards in another package. Two contractors will handle the solid waste produced in these wards, separately. Their tasks will include door-to-door collection of waste, street sweeping, clearing vegetation, cleaning of road dividers and footpaths, and sanitation works in public buildings and other places. The agencies will have to transport the solid waste to the compost plant and dumping yard at Pachchanady.
According to the tender notification published on January 15, the cost of handling the solid waste in the north zone is estimated at Rs. 4.25 crore a year. It is Rs. 5.47 core a year in the south zone. The cost of handling solid waste in the north zone has been estimated at Rs. 1,171 a tonne, while it is Rs. 1,160 a tonne in the south zone.
The third package covers operation and maintenance (O&M) of the compost plant and sanitary landfill site at Panchchanady. The cost of this package has been estimated at Rs. 1.78 crore a year, and Rs. 248 a tonne.
R. Manjunatha Shetty, Environment Engineer at the corporation, told The Hindu that the contract terms of the existing six agencies would expire in July.
If the civic body could select the bidders for the new package before July next, the services of the existing contractors could be terminated with a month’s notice, he said.
By restricting the number of agencies to two, the corporation could easily ensure 100 per cent door-to-door collection, Mr. Shetty said.
He said that the existing system of using hydraulic vehicles for lifting and transporting the 120 metallic solid waste bins to the dumping yard would continue even after the new contractors were put in place. Once the door-to-door collection of solid waste picked up fully, cement dustbins in the city would be removed in a phased manner, he said.
