Waste disposal issue rocks MCC meeting

MANGALURU: Shortcomings in the three-package solid waste management system handed over to Mumbai-based M/s Antony Waste Handling Cell Pvt Ltd dominated discussions at the monthly meeting of the MCC council.
The discussions took a quirky turn with a few corporators getting nostalgic about the erstwhile system where local private contractors handled the city's solid waste vis-à-vis the system adopted by Mumbai-based company.
AC Vinayraj, Congress corporator, said while handling of solid waste by Antony Waste left a lot to be desired, there were also doubts over the manner in which Unique Waste Processing Company Ltd, handled a vital part of the package, namely manufacturing compost from the solid waste at the corporation's dumping yard at Pachchanady.
Unique Waste Processing Company Ltd, is a unit of IL and FS Ltd., the company to which MCC has given the contract.
Noting that 70% of municipal solid waste has to be converted in to compost and remaining 30% sent back to the landfill, he said Antony Waste instead is cashing in on contract clause that assures it payment for per tonne of solid waste collected by transporting desilted debris from drains.
Referring to daily reports generated by health inspectors, corporator Abdul Raouf said Antony Waste is able to reach out only to 60% of the total households for its mandated task of door-to-door collection.
Premanand Shetty of the BJP said the crux of the problem lies in the failure on part of MCC to ensure segregation of waste at source and mixed waste landing up at the Pachchanady dumping yard. Commercial establishments in the city are still dumping their waste in nearby bins rather than handing it over to Antony Waste, he said.
Madhu Manohar, environment engineer, said Antony Waste is under obligation to even clear the silt for it comes under classification of catch basin waste.
Madhu said the corporation is taking all steps within contractual conditions to bring Antony back on track.