After its earlier model to collect biodegradable waste from commercial establishments in the city was found ineffective, the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation is planning to make a fresh attempt with more scrutiny of the agencies collecting waste, including approval from the Pollution Control Board (PCB) and clearance of the panchayat where the facility is located.
The civic body has now issued an Expression of Interest, calling for agencies interested in collecting biodegradable waste from commercial establishments in all the wards. The Corporation had four years ago made arrangements with 19 agencies to collect biodegradable waste. However, only 14 of them are currently involved in the process.
Pig farms
Many pig farms located in adjacent panchayats used to collect waste, but inadequate facilities to process waste had caused problems for residents. In 2019, the PCB had issued an order to stop the transport of food waste to pig farms in the district’s outskirts, stating that the disposal of waste in pig farms and rubber plantations was in violation of Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016.
"Earlier, no strict conditions were imposed on agencies which were contracted to collect waste. Some of them did not have adequate facilities to handle all the waste that they collected. So, now we have stipulated that the agencies should have a certificate from the PCB as well as clearance from the panchayat where the facility is located. Those running pig farms can collect waste, but they should satisfy these conditions," said an official of the Corporation's health wing.
The agencies are also being hired to ensure collection of waste from homes, especially from the coastal regions of the city that does not have strong mechanisms to collect waste at source. The waste from these regions will be handed over to the Haritha Karma Senas to be processed in aerobic bins.
