The Kozhikode Corporation Council has deferred its move to extend contract with Zonta Infratech for biomining and capping at the Njeliyanparamba waste management plant after the Opposition demanded more time to study the matter.
The decision followed a report of the technical committee that visited the waste management plant to scrutinise work. A meeting of the committee on Thursday had noted that the company might be allowed time till June 10 to finish capping activities that needed to be completed before the onset of monsoon.
The committee reported that the work was in full swing, biomining had been completed, and the second stage of slope formation for capping was also over. However, the work needed to be speeded up. If it could not be completed by the onset of monsoon, the capped area should be covered with polythene to protect it from rain.
Meanwhile, RDF bailing and other activities that could be done even during rain shall be continued. The setting up of vegetation on the capped area shall be done after monsoon, the committee headed by Mayor Beena Philip reported.
The proposal to extend the contract was brought up at the council meeting on Friday as part of the supplementary agenda. The Opposition’s demand to defer the decision was also influenced by the Mayor denying permission to the adjournment motion moved by Opposition leader K.C. Shobhita. She had planned to demand the State government to exclude Zonta Infratech from the short-term contract for biomining and capping as it had not completed the work in four years and after renewing the contract five times.
She also wanted the company to be removed from the long-term contract for setting up the waste-to-energy plant at Njeliyanparamba.
