Thiruvananthapuram: The Corporation will be opting for steel kitchen bins, as plastic kitchen bins were easily gnawed by rats. At the council meeting on Thursday, Health Standing Committee Chairperson K Sreekumar said that the rat issue was one of the biggest drawbacks of the kitchen bin project. Suchitwa Mission will be consulted to prepare estimates for setting up 30-litre stainless steel bins. However, unlike what sources in the Corporation had shared earlier, the bins will not be installed for free.
The project will be implemented using the Corporation’s own fund. Later it will be presented before the District Planning Committee and the amount spent will be recouped, according to Sreekumar. The new aerobic bin units in the city will be kept in steel shelters. The council decided to set up steel shelters, as the frames made of casuarina were not as durable. Sreekumar said that there would be facilities like a cabin and locker for the Corporation staff who take care of aerobic bin units.
For inorganic waste, there will be Resource Recovery Centres as well as Material Recovery Centre. The Corporation will prepare proposals and request Suchitwa the Mission to provide the fund for setting up model RRCs in addition to the one at Muttathara. RRCs will come up on Jagathy ground, site next to Manacaud Health Inspector’s office and behind Putharikkandam ground.
Mobile Camera:
In order to stop people from dumping garbage on the streets, the Corporation is thinking of setting up mobile cameras. K Sreekumar said that such cameras could then be moved to other wards or sites, as per need. He said that the idea was already being put to test. He was responding to a suggestion by Valiysala councillor Lakshmi M to use the council’s ‘Ente Nagaram, Sundara Nagaram’ project fund for setting up cameras.
Clean Kerala:
The Mayor had decided to give the work order to the Ponnaich Foundation, based in Nagercoil, to do away with 35 loads of plastic waste collected from various wards. When the topic to ratify the Mayor’s decision was discussed, Nanthancode councillor Palayam Rajan said that Clean Kerala, which was paid Rs 50 lakhs for plastic waste management, should be asked to return the money.
The Health Chairperson said that Clean Kerala had removed 2 loads of plastic waste, but its performance was not satisfactory. He said that discussions had been held with the company. The Corporation will be paying the Nagercoil company '8500 for every load. The council decided to pay Rs 1,27,500 as the first instalment to the company which has already removed 23 loads of plastic.
