The State Government has approved a package of the three-package solid waste management scheme of Mangalore City Corporation. The civic body had proposed the scheme more than two-and-a-half-years ago.
The Government issued an order on August 23, 2012 approving the package of operation and maintenance of the sanitary landfill site and compost plant at Pachchanady, Commissioner of the corporation Harish Kumar K. told The Hindu .
The civic body had chosen IL&FS Environmental Infrastructure and Services Ltd., Delhi, for the operation and maintenance package. Following the Government’s approval the corporation issued the “letter of acceptance” (of the bid) to the company on Saturday (August 25), Mr. Kumar said.
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The Delhi-based company had quoted Rs. 238 a tonne for operation and maintenance. The cost estimated by the corporation was Rs. 248 a tonne. In this case, the company quoted about four per cent lower than the original estimation, he said.
Environment Engineer at the corporation Manjunath R. Shetty said the company had been given 10 days to submit its “mobilisation chart” (detailed action plan) to the civic body.
The chart would provide details regarding manpower and machines it would deploy at Pachchanady and funds it would invest now.
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Garbage collection
The other two packages awaiting the government’s approval are collection and transportation of solid waste from 60 wards divided as south and north to Pachchanady, Mr. Shetty said.
The corporation has selected Anthony Waste Handling Cell Pvt. Ltd. Mumbai, who had quoted Rs. 3,201 and Rs. 2,051 for collecting and transporting a tonne of solid waste from north (29 wards) and south zone (31 wards) respectively. The corporation had estimated the cost to be Rs. 1,711 and Rs. 1,160 a tonne respectively. The Commissioner said that currently eight contractors were handling solid waste in the city in eight packages.
As their original contract ended a month ago the term had been extended for four months taking recourse to a provision in the law.
Mr. Kumar said if the Government did not approve the pending two packages soon the civic body would again invite bids for the handling of solid waste from 60 wards.
GPS a must
Mr. Shetty said that under the three-package scheme, it was mandatory to install global positioning system equipment in vehicles transporting waste from wards to the plant site.
The contract-winning company should sweep streets, remove weeds, clean the medians and beaches at Surathkal, Mukka, Tannirbavi, and Kasba Bengre.