Mangaluru : Mangaluru City Corporation Commissioner Mohammed Nazeer said that if Antony Waste Handling Pvt Ltd, the contract agency of the corporation for collecting and transporting all waste from the city, fails to collect dry and wet waste separately from all the 60 wards, then MCC will stop the payment.

Speaking at the MCC meeting here on Saturday, he said though MCC has initiated segregation of waste at source and its collection from November 1 as dry and wet, it has failed to pick up waste in all 60 wards in the city. “Segregation of waste from source is still a problem in the city. MCC is planning to maintain bulk waste on its own rather than giving it to the Antony Waste Handling Pvt Ltd. The maintenance of bulk waste will help in generating income,” he said.

Earlier, members Mohammed, Premanand Shetty and Naveen D’Souza asked what programmes have been chalked out by the MCC for Swachh Sarvekshan survey in January. Though the survey committee has been constituted, no meetings have been convened so far, they charged.

There is a need to create awareness on cleanliness and sanitary issues at the ward level. “We are still lacking behind in our preparations,” the members said.

Environment engineer Madhu S Manohar said financial evaluation is being carried out for the proposal on the construction of e-toilets in Mangaluru. In addition, 24 public toilets will be constructed, Manohar said.

When Shashidhar Hegde raised the issue of foul smell emanating from dumpyard at Pacchanady has reached Yeyyadi, Shakthinagar, Kavoor and Kadri areas as well. “People are unable to bear the foul smell,” they charged.

The engineer said that a concrete road is being laid on the periphery of the compost plant at Pacchanady dump yard where, the chicken waste has been buried in a pit. As land is being excavated for laying the road, the chicken waste buried is resulting in the foul smell and it is temporary, he said.

The members also aired their grievances against Unique Waste Processing Company Ltd, the contract company of MCC, to manufacture city compost at the dumping yard. Mayor Harinath said 900 tonnes of manure is stocked at the site without any sale. The MCC is paying Rs 15 lakh to Rs 18 lakh per month to the company. The environment engineer said that after the MCC entered into an MoU with MCF for the sale of manure, the MCF has given an indent for 200 tonnes of manure.

Green cess
Member Vinayraj said there are 40 parks in MCC jurisdiction. However, there are only 18 persons to maintain the parks. Though the MCC has collected Rs 5.60 crore green cess from its citizens from 2005 to March 2016, the collected amount is not being used for expanding the greenery in the city. Instead, the amount is being diverted for other purposes. There is a need to take up plantation drive on medians, he said.

Commissioner Mohammed Nazeer said that Rs 3.78 crore collected under green cess has been transferred to other heads. “But I have directed the officials not to divert the green cess amount,” he said.

Nazeer said the KUIDFC will submit feasibility report on the proposed bus stand for private buses at Pumpwell, within 15 days. MCC has proposed to build a state-of-the-art bus stand on 7.21 acres of land at Pumpwell. The feasibility report for the construction of markets at Kadri and Kankanady has been prepared by the KUIDFC and it will be placed before the Cabinet for approval shortly, he added.