FOR A CLEAN CITY: Mayor C. Jayan Babu and Deputy Mayor V. Jayaprakash walk past the garbage dumpsite at the solid waste treatment plant at Vilappilsala on Tuesday . - Photo: S. Mahinsha

Thiruvananthapuram: The City Corporation has finalised an agreement with a company based in Tamil Nadu to recycle the plastic waste collected from households and commercial establishments in the city and the rejects from the garbage treatment plant at Vilappilsala.

Simultaneously, the local body is gearing up to establish a system for segregation of waste at source to reduce the quantum of garbage brought to the treatment plant. The pilot project has been extended to 24 wards.

Under the new system, the organic wastes will be transported to the plant at Vilappilsala while the plastic wastes are to be sent to the recycling plant. The Corporation is also planning to enforce the ban on use and sale of plastic items including carry-bags and disposable cups and containers below 30 microns.

The Corporation's fleet of garbage trucks is being equipped with separate loading bays to carry the segregated waste. The conversion of the trucks is being done in phases. Chairman of the standing committee on health G.R. Anil said the plastic waste dumped at the garbage plant at Vilappilsala would also be sorted and sent for recycling.

Corporation officials said the company, Kinylo Plastics, had agreed to procure the plastic at Re.1 a kilogram. The firm had also offered to set up a recycling unit at Vilappilsala. All grades of plastic would be procured. "We hope to maintain a steady supply of 10 tonnes per day," a civic official said.

The recycling plant converts the plastic waste into granules used in the manufacture of plastic bags. Mayor C. Jayan Babu flagged off the first load of plastics from the plant on Tuesday at a function organised in connection with the World Environment Day celebrations. Councillors and Corporation officials also planted trees at the project site.

Capping the dump

Meanwhile, efforts are on to cap the towering mound of waste piled up at the dumpsite adjacent to the garbage plant. The work is being executed by the Centre of Science and Technology for Rural Development (Costford) under an agreement with the local body.

The treatment plant, which is based on composting technology to convert garbage into organic manure, is not equipped to handle non-biodegradable wastes.

Only 20 per cent of the solid waste reaching the plant is turned into compost, with the rest dumped on the premises.

Local people have been up in arms over the environmental pollution caused by the dumpsite. The leachate from the dumpsite is responsible for the pollution of the Chowalloor stream which joins the Karamana river downstream.

There have also been complaints from local people that they are exposed to toxic fumes caused by burning plastic at the dumpsite.

A technical committee comprising experts and representatives of the Corporation, Vilappil panchayat and the Pollution Control Board is monitoring the capping project.

The proposed closure of the dumpsite involves covering the accumulated waste with multiple layers of clay, High Density Poly Ethylene and hard soil. The capped dump will be landscaped to regenerate the environment. Costford has proposed the construction of a drain around the site to divert rainwater to the nearby stream. A diaphragm wall is to be built at the bottom of the slope to prevent water from seeping into the ground. A network of pipes and a flaring unit will be installed to collect greenhouse gases from the waste.

The leachate from the dump will be collected in tanks, recycled in an oxidation plant and diverted back to the processing plant, in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Pollution Control Board.

Simultaneously, moves are afoot to equip the garbage processing plant with facilities to sort and store non-biodegradable rejects. The segregated waste will be shredded in a machine and packed into bundles using mechanised equipment. A temporary shed will be constructed to store the rejects.

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