With the seven-year contract for solid waste management that Antony Waste Handling Cell Pvt. Ltd. had signed with Mangaluru City Corporation ending on January 31 this year, the State Government has extended it till February-end, according to Commissioner of the corporation Akshy Sridhar.
Mr. Sridhar told The Hindu that the Urban Development Department has said that the contract term of the company will be further extended by 11 more months after obtaining permission from the State Cabinet. The Cabinet nod will be obtained in its next meeting.
Earlier, the council of the corporation had agreed to extend the contract period of the company, which collects solid waste from the doorsteps of people and transports it to Pachchanady, to a year from February 2022 or till the civic body selects a new agency to handle solid waste.
The civic body switched over from multi-agency contract system to a single agency contract system seven years ago hoping for better solid waste management system under the control of a single agency.
Meanwhile, Mangala Resource Management Pvt. Ltd., a city-based start-up which has come forward to manage solid waste through a detailed project report submitted to the corporation, has sought ₹3,750 per tonne from the civic body as service charge for the collection, transportation and handling (processing) of the waste.
In addition, it has suggested that the corporation invest ₹60 crore as capital investment on its own to set up the processing unit at Pachchanady. It has also said that it will reduce its service charge from the second year onwards till the seventh year of the proposed contract.
On the other hand, the corporation has mooted a model, the detailed project report of which has been prepared by its consultant Anti Pollution Drive, to handle solid waste.
According to it, the corporation will have to purchase 437 vehicles for collecting and transporting garbage and own them. But their maintenance and fuel purchase should be outsourced. Drivers, loaders and helpers required should also be outsourced. But civic workers will be provided by the corporation.
Both the detailed project reports are now under scrutiny before the government and no final decision has been taken.