Even as the city Corporation’s decentralised solid waste treatment project remains confined to plans and paper work, the Vilappil panchayat, with which the Corporation has locked horns over the Vilappilsala solid waste treatment plant issue, is all set to implement a slew of decentralised waste treatment projects in the panchayat.
While the Corporation’s proposals for setting up mini waste treatment plants are being marred by unavailability of land, public opposition and red-tapeism, the Vilappil panchayat has received the go ahead from Suchitwa Mission for the implementation of the first phase of the decentralised waste treatment project.
As part of this the panchayat will be installing a biogas plant at the Vilappilsala market, less than three km from the controversial Vilappilsala solid waste treatment plant.
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Vilappil panchayat president S. Shobhana Kumari said that the construction of the biogas plant will begin before the end of the month.
"The biogas plant will have the capacity to treat 250 kg of solid waste per day. It is coming up in the land owned by panchayat and will be used to treat the waste generated in the market. The biogas produced from the plant will be either used for lighting the street lights in the market or connected through pipes to nearby households for cooking purpose. We are still to decide on that,’’ she said.
Vilappil panchayat secretary Susan Thomas said that the Rs 4.95 lakh project will be commissioned by March second week.
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"We have already identified an agency accredited by Suchitwa Mission to set up the plant and provide technical support for maintenance and running of the plant. Once the construction of the biogas plant starts it would be completed within two weeks,’’ Ms Thomas said.
Ms Shobhana Kumari said that the biogas plant coming up inside the market is only one of the many mini plants planned in the panchayat. ``In the second phase of the project we are planning to construct similar mini plants in government schools and institutions. Only after we complete the construction of the first plant will be receive subsidy from the government to construct more such plants,’’ she said.
Meanwhile the Vilappil panchayat has deferred its decision to appeal at the Supreme Court against the High Court interim verdict on re-opening the Vilappilsala solid waste treatment plant which was closed down by the panchayat on December 21, 2011.
``We have decided to put off our decision to appeal before the SC for some time. We need to find out what the government’s stand is on the issue after the recent developments,’’ Ms Shobhana Kumari said.
The HC had in its interim verdict issued on January 23 directed the state government to provide police protection to Corporation’s garbage trucks transporting garbage to the plant. However, the Corporation’s attempt to transport garbage to the plant with police protection was the other foiled by a mass agitation at Vilappilsala, spearheaded by the panchayat and the Vilappilsala Janakeeya Samithi.