Mangaluru City Corporation Council in its special meeting on Wednesday proposed to make some logistical changes, including introduction of its own vehicles for collection and transportation of solid waste, in handling of solid waste from February next.
The changes to be made will not make any difference to citizens when they hand over solid waste or garbage to civic workers. The daily collection of wet waste and weekly collection of dry waste by the corporation will continue as usual.
But it will help those having houses in narrow lanes where people complain about solid waste not being lifted daily as garbage collecting vehicles cannot reach such places. And, the council has in its meeting proposed to introduce hand carts or battery operated tricycles in such places to collect waste.
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The meeting was called to discuss the model of the proposed revised solid waste management plan as the civic body will have to change the existing private agency, Antony Waste Handling Cell Pvt. Ltd., which collects and transports solid waste. It is because the seven-year contract with the corporation will expire on January 31, 2022.
At present, the handling of solid waste, comprising purchase of vehicles, their operation and maintenance and human resource required in the collection and transportation of waste have been completely outsourced to the company.
The three main features proposed in the revised model are that human resource for handling waste will only be partially outsourced and the civic body will introduce its own vehicles for collecting and transporting waste. In addition, the contract period of the agency to be selected next, will be reduced to five years.
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Akshay Ranganath, a consultant for Anti Pollution Drive, which has prepared the draft of the revised plan, made a presentation on the revised model in the council.
He told the councillors that the civic body will have to purchase 437 vehicles for collecting and transporting garbage and own them. But their maintenance should be outsourced. Drivers, loaders and helpers required should be outsourced. But civic workers will be provided by the corporation.
Mayor Premananda Shetty told the council that the model of the revised plan will be sent to the government for approval.
He said that a committee will be formed within a week to discuss the model in detail. The committee can suggest further changes to be made in the model. The changes can be incorporated while inviting bids.