Corp nod for agencies collecting dry waste

Thiruvananthapuram: The city corporation council met here on Tuesday approved the proposal of the health standing committee to engage two agencies for the collection of dry waste in the city.
As per the proposal, the corporation will earn money from the transportation of 14 types of dry waste while it has to pay for multi-layer covers, bags, chappals, clothes and road waste.Pet bottles and hard plastic, two of the major components of non-biodegradable waste in the city, will fetch the corporation Rs 15 and Rs 13 per kilo respectively. Coloured plastic, rubber and coconut shells are other items for which the corporation will receive money from the agencies for transportation.
The most commonly dumped plastic waste - milk cover will - earn the corporation Rs 13 per kg while carry bags will be transported at Rs 7 per kg. Oil packaging, white plastic covers and paper waste are other types of dry waste for which the corporation will now earn money for collection and transportation.
At the same time, the corporation will have to shell out money for the collection and transportation of clothes, bags and chappals at rates ranging between Rs 5 to Rs 8 per kg. Road waste will be transported at a cost of Rs 7.5 per kg.
Meanwhile, BJP councillors relayed a volley of questions at the health standing committee chairman Jameela Sreedharan soon after she sought the council’s approval for the proposal. BJP councillor Anil Kumar alleged dry waste collection in the city has always been ridden with corruption charges and that the agencies are cheating the corporation and swindling money out of the civic body. The BJP councillors demanded formation of a sub-committee to consider various factors like previous experience of the agencies, the location where waste is transported, mode of transportation and the like.
Countering the BJP’s charges, health committee chairperson Jameela Sreedharan replied that one of the chosen agencies - Sarojini Ponniah foundation - had come to the aid of the civic body even when the corporation owed the firm lakhs as payment. She said that owing to Covid induced lockdown, waste transportation was affected and that dry waste was being piled up in resource recovery centres. It was then that the corporation had to extend the contract of the agency and despite pending bills; the agency took up the task of transporting the waste from the city.
When the BJP persisted with questions and cited lack of clarity in the agenda, an annoyed Jameela Sreedharan replied that everything was very clearly written down in the agenda and those who have doubts may read it carefully. Her remark provoked the BJP councillors who said it was improper of the chairperson to issue such a brusque reply to a genuine question by the councillor.
Jameela Sreedharan said the agency has been associating with the civic body for the past four years and that the health team had inspected their facilities before roping them for waste collection. She said they have facilities at Tirunelveli and Nagercoil and that she was not aware of any kind of ban on waste transport to Tamil Nadu, referring to a BJP councillor’s comment that there were restrictions in transportation of waste to the neighbouring state. Unlike previous years, the city corporation received quotes from two firms for around 18 kinds of dry waste this time.