A common regional facility for processing and disposal of solid waste generated from Tiruchirapalli City Corporation, Thuraiyur, and Manapparai Municipalities in the district is to be established soon at a cost of Rs. 152.17 crore.
The project estimate for setting up the facility had been prepared by the Commissionerate of Municipal Administration. The facility is to be established on public-private partnership mode. The initiative was part of a State government plan to set up common regional facilities on a cluster basis to improve solid waste management in local bodies.
The Tiruchirapalli City Corporation proposes to seek a substantial part of the project cost as government grant. The Corporation Council, at an urgent meeting chaired by Mayor A. Jaya on Friday gave its nod for the proposal.
The council approved a proposal to seek Rs. 9 crore as grant from the City Challenge Fund of the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Development for improving and modernising public toilets in the city. The grant would be utilised for setting up multi-purpose service centres and the proposed Hope Centres in the city.
The proposed modern goat slaughterhouse planned at G. Corner would be established behind the Sengulam Colony market. The slaughterhouse was originally planned to be established at a cost of Rs. 6.79 crore including a grant of Rs. 3.20 crore from the Union Ministry of Food Processing Industries at G. Corner. However, the Ministry in a recent communication said that the facility should be established only at a site owned by the civic body. Since the G. Corner site belongs to the Revenue Department, the slaughterhouse would now be set up at behind Sengulam Colony market.
Corporation Commissioner V.P. Thandapani said it would be a state-of-the-art facility with an effluent treatment plant and there would be no scope for pollution. He was responding to a question raised by M. Venkataraj, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, on the suitability of the site as it was located amidst residential areas and close to the Circuit House in the city.
A cross-section of the councillors, including Mr. Venkataraj complained that discoloured water was being supplied under the new drinking water augmentation scheme, which was commissioned recently.
Mr. Thandapani said clay sediments in the pumping mains had been flushed out and the water received at the overhead tanks was clear. However, the sediments had to be cleared from the new distribution mains laid for a stretch about 380 km and this would take a few weeks.
