Shun by Kochi, Kochi Metro Rail Ltd gets waste deals from civic bodies

KOCHI: Even though the Kochi Corporation has declined to give solid waste generated in the municipality to Kochi Metro Rail Ltd for its vertical garden and greening of Metro medians, many other municipalities from across the state have approached the Metro agency offering waste. Civic bodies including Guruvayoor Municipality has submitted a proposal to KMRL in this regard. Currently KMRL needs 6,500 tonne of organic manure for gardening. Only Varkala Municipality has partnered with the agency to provide the solid waste.

Tough the KMRL approached the Kochi Corporation, the civic body rejected the request citing that it had already entered into an agreement with another agency for generating power from waste. Bio-degradable solid waste will be collected, processed and made compost and the plants are grown on this. "We need 10 to 12 tonne of manure produced from organic waste for a single median, between two Metro pillars. Initially, 100 medians from Aluva to Maharaja's will be beautified for which 6,500 tonne of manure is needed.

As of now, we are getting 1,000 to 1,200 tonne of garbage from Varkala which is grossly inadequate," said a KMRL official. KMRL pays Varkala Municipality Rs 5 per kg of solid waste. KMRL is awaiting Swachh Bharat Mission funds for procuring solid waste for the beautification project. The funds will be provided through State Suchitwa Mission, the nodal agency of Swachh Bharat Mission. "Currently, we are taking up the greening initiative using own funds," the official added.