Mangaluru : MCC Mayor Jacintha Vijay Alfred said that the City Corporation will take all possible measures to achieve 100 per cent target in solid waste management.

Speaking at a felicitation programme at Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Mangaluru on Thursday, she said that there has been 60 percent of progress in solid waste management in the city, after the introduction of new system of waste collection and segregation.

She batted for the cent percent achievement of solid waste management in the days to come. The waste collection system will be eventually introduced in the outskirts of Mangaluru as well, the Mayor said.

She said plans are on anvil to handover the maintenance work of Boloor crematorium to private entities and a meeting has been held in the chairmanship of MLA J R Lobo in this regard. Deputy Mayor Purushottam Chitrapur said imposition of solid waste management CESS by the Directorate has been unscientific in MCC limits. The industries are compelled to shell out more than the prescribed amount, he said and added that efforts will be done from the side of MCC to decrease CESS in Mangaluru, after approaching the directorate and a committee has been formed towards the same.

Purushottam further said despite inviting tenders thrice, the contractors are not coming forward to construct drains and footpath quoting reasons of more time and manpower. Hence, this time, construction of footpath, rainwater drains and underground drains will be clubbed together while inviting the tenders, instead of separate tenders.

Towards easing the dense traffic in the city, meetings have been held by the Mayor with the department of police and the MCC will come up with measures in this regard.

Stating Mangaluru had become the capital of malaria, he said a team from Germany has carried out a study to combat the menace. Teams have also been formed by the MCC and the health staff conduct house to house visits to create awareness on Malaria, Dengue and Chikungunya.

KCCI President Nigam B Vasani submitted a memorandum to the Mayor, containing demands to decrease solid waste management CESS, to bring Mangaluru under smart city, to promote manufacturing, infrastructure and Information Technology initiatives, to establish a Mescom sub station at Export Promotion Industrial Park at Ganjimutt, improve Nehru Maidan ground, enforcement of provisions of Food Safety and Standard Act etc. Mayor Jacintha Vijay Alfred and Deputy Mayor Purushottam Chitrapur were felicitated by KCCI on the occasion.

KCCI Vicepresident Rammohan Pai Maroor, General Secretary Jeevan Saldanha were present among others.