Palayam ward was witness to a sourly missed sight in the city here on Sunday morning, when a group of Kudumbasree Cleanwell workers began door-to-door collection of garbage.
As the two-tonne biogas plant at the Connemara Market turned operational, one of the city’s most congested wards took a significant step towards attaining self-sustainability in terms of solid waste management.
Since most households were not prepared for the morning knocks asking for segregated waste, the Cleanwell workers did not cover the targeted 2,000 households. A team of 20 were despatched to collect the waste from the area to feed into the plant that would convert the waste to methane, which, in turn, would be converted to electricity that would power the light emitting diode (LED) lights proposed to be installed in the market.
Among the 20, six were already working at the two police quarters where ring-and-pit composting was being done after the closure of the Vilappilsala plant. Around 200 kg of waste was collected on Sunday. Fifteen LED lights would be installed at the fish markets, near the vegetable vendors, and the compound where the plant functioned, Corporation welfare standing committee chairman and ward councillor Palayam Rajan said.
The Cleanwell workers would collect biodegradable waste from an estimated 1,200 households here as some 900 had installed pipe composts. Most other homes would also be visited to collect plastic, glass, and paper waste, which would be given off to those who collected rag, sources said.
The project was being funded by the Kerala Sustainable Urban Development Project (KSUDP). The main unit cost Rs.24 lakh and the electrical components cost Rs.6 lakh. In the coming weeks, landscaping and beautification of the area would also be done by the same firm which installed the plant, Royal Associates, Mr. Rajan said.
In addition, two composting units would also come up at the police quarters here.
The Corporation had sent a letter to the City Police Commissioner seeking a no-objection certificate for the project.
