Thiruvananthapuram: The city council meeting here on Tuesday approved the Standing Committee on Health’s proposal to hire two agencies for dry waste collection in the city.
According to the proposal, the company will earn money from transporting 14 types of dry waste while paying for multi-layered blankets, bags, chappals, clothing and road waste. Pet bottles and hard plastic, two of the main components of the city’s non-biodegradable waste, will bring the company Rs 15 and Rs 13 per kilogram, respectively. Colored plastic, rubber and coconut shells are other items for which the company will receive money from agencies for transportation.
The most commonly discarded plastic waste – the milk blanket – will net the company Rs 13 per kg while the carrier bags will be carried at Rs 7 per kg. Oil wrappers, white plastic lids and waste paper are other types of dry waste that the company will now earn money for collection and transportation for.
At the same time, the company will have to shell out money for the collection and transport of clothes, bags and chappals at rates ranging from Rs 5-8 per kg. Road waste will be transported at a price of Rs 7.5 per kg.
Meanwhile, BJP advisers relayed a flurry of questions to the chair of the Standing Committee on Health, Jameela Sreedharan, shortly after seeking council approval for the proposal. BJP adviser Anil Kumar claimed that collecting dry waste in the city has always been charged with corruption charges and that the agencies are cheating on society and swindling the civic body’s money. The BJP advisers requested the formation of a sub-committee to look at various factors such as the agencies’ past experience, where the waste is transported, the mode of transport, etc.
Against the BJP’s accusations, the chair of the health committee, Jameela Sreedharan, replied that one of the chosen agencies – the Sarojini Ponniah Foundation – had come to the aid of the civic body even when society owed society to society. lakhs as payment. She said that due to the Covid-induced lockdown, waste transport was affected and dry waste was piled up in resource recovery centers. It was then that the company had to extend the agency’s contract despite the outstanding invoices; the agency took charge of transporting the city’s waste.
When the BJP persisted in its questions and cited the lack of clarity on the agenda, an annoyed Jameela Sreedharan replied that everything was very clearly written on the agenda and those with doubts can. read carefully. His remark provoked BJP advisers who said it was inappropriate for the president to respond so bluntly to a real question from the adviser.
Jameela Sreedharan said the agency had partnered with the civic body for four years and the health team had inspected their facilities before roping them up for waste collection. She said they had facilities in Tirunelveli and Nagercoil and that she was not aware of any bans on transporting waste to Tamil Nadu, referring to a comment from a BJP adviser that there was restrictions in the transport of waste to the neighboring state. Unlike in previous years, this time the municipality received quotes from two companies for around 18 types of dry waste.