‘Euro-standard’ biogas plants for marketplaces and State-owned institutions will be highlighted by the city Corporation in the Detailed Project Report (DPR) to be submitted to the Union government.
The report must be submitted ahead of allocation of funds under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM)-Phase II.
“No directive has been issued, but we found the preparation toolkit on the JNNURM website and decided to get to work immediately, especially because funds are sanctioned on a first come, first served basis,” Mayor K. Chandrika told The Hindu .
Infrastructure development was divided into components such as ‘solid waste management’, ‘preservation of water bodies’ and ‘roads and transport,’ she said. Plastic recycling machines were also being considered for decentralised waste management. Since the city already had a framework in place, such as workers for door-to-door collection and transport facilities, gaining Central assistance for these plants should be easy, said Health Officer D. Sreekumar.
“We are planning to include the desilting and cleaning of all water bodies in the city in the DPR. The exact number will be ascertained after a survey,” the Mayor said.
Measures for rain water harvesting and distribution of clean drinking water were the other priorities, she said. A project they had in mind involved setting up solar-powered water filtration systems beside abandoned quarries.
Funds for the construction of multi-level parking facilities at Thampanoor and Putharikandom at East Fort would also be sought under JNNURM – II.
A meeting was held at the Corporation office recently in which senior officials from various agencies, including the Public Works Department, Kerala Water Authority, and the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation participated. They were asked to submit proposals that would be woven into a DPR.
