The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Solid waste management project: Government’s nod sought

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jul 05, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Solid waste management project: Government’s nod sought

Staff Reporter

Mayor allays sanitary workers’ fears of displacement; some councillors walk out

“If the company’s services fall short of the requirement, the Council has the power to cancel the contract,” the Mayor said.

Chennai: After a three-hour discussion, the Chennai Corporation Council on Wednesday passed a resolution to seek the State Government’s approval to award a multi-crore solid waste management project to Neel Metal Products Limited (NMPL).

Councillors voiced concerns over the contract and the privatised solid waste management, in general. NMPL (a unit of the JBM - Fanalca S.A. tie-up) recently bagged the tender to manage about 1,200 tonnes of solid waste generated from four zones — Pulianthope, Ice House, Kodambakkam and Adyar. CES Onyx’s contract ends on August 24.

Expertise questioned

Opposition floor leader Saidai P. Ravi (Congress) said, “The core expertise of Neel Metal is in metal products and Fanalca’s is in the manufacture of garbage compactors. They have only limited experience in solid waste management. We need to monitor their work carefully.”

Mayor M. Subramanian replied that the NMPL possessed experience in managing solid waste in parts of New Delhi and Fanalca S.A. had eight years of experience in waste management in Bogota, capital of Colombia in South America.

“If the company’s services fall short of the requirement, the Council has the power to cancel the contract,” the Mayor said.

PMK floor leader M. Jayaraman and Viduthalai Siruthaigal floor leader V. Prabhu said the Corporation should reverse the trend of privatisation of services.

“Can not the Corporation manage waste as competently as a private firm? Why can’t we train Corporation workers?” Mr. Jayaraman asked.

Mr. Subramanian said that 80 hi-tech garbage compactors (closed trucks) would be purchased by the Corporation, to be used for waste management in the other six zones of the city.

Plans were being drawn up to modernise transfer stations and to process garbage for generation of power and fuel pellets., the Mayor disclosed.

Chaos reigned in the Council Hall for about 10 minutes when CPI-M councillor Devaki tied a black scarf around her mouth to protest privatisation. When she rose to speak, councillors of the DMK-led alliance demanded that she take away the cloth if she wanted to voice her opinion.

Brief chaos

Congress leader Ravi said that the meeting was being conducted democratically and Ms. Devaki should keep away the gag if she wished to speak.

Ms. Devaki charged that it was a predetermined decision to pass the resolution and walked out of the hall.

CPI councillors R. Subramani and S. Meena, four DMDK councillors and BSP councillor K. Armstrong Raj also walked out in protest.

Assurance

The Mayor said privatisation did not mean that Corporation sanitary workers would be displaced from jobs. They would be accommodated in zones where there were vacancies.

He also said that the Corporation has requested NMPL to employ workers who had served Onyx.

Later speaking to reporters, Mr. Subramanian that the Corporation would start a source segregation campaign in order to separately handle biodegradable and other wastes.

Chennai produces about 3,600 tonnes of solid waste every day.

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