Mangaluru: The Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) in association with the Dakshian Kannada zilla panchayat has proposed the setting up of 10 tons per day (TPD) capacity incineration facility for the scientific disposal of sanitary waste, said MCC commissioner Rahul Ratnam Pandey.He was speaking at an interaction programme, ‘Addressing the challenges of waste and traffic management in growing the city’ organised by Sri Ambamaheshwari Seva Trust as part of its ‘Awake Kudla’ campaign on Saturday.“A critical yet overlooked issue is sanitary waste. The city generates around 3.3 tonnes of sanitary waste daily, but has only one private incinerator for its disposal. The ZP has proposed a 3-tonne-per-day facility for rural areas, while a joint 10-TPD incinerator for rural and urban areas has been proposed and is now before the cabinet, the commissioner said.While the city generates 300 TPD of waste, roughly 65% of the total waste is segregated, while 35% is unsegregated, he said. “We need to push this figure higher, if not 100%, at least close to 100%. Only if we achieve maximum segregation at source can we provide a lasting solution for solid waste within city corporation limits. Some of the wards have lower segregation rates, whereas others exceed 90%,” the commissioner said.Regarding the construction and demolition (C&D) waste, he said the city currently lacks a dedicated disposal site for C&D waste. “The govt has already notified C&D waste management rules. We must identify a site and establish a processing system for debris generated from both new developments and demolitions,” he said.Based on 2021 estimates, around 9 lakh tonnes of legacy waste existed there, but that figure is likely between 12 and 13 lakh tonnes at present, he said.“Around 2.1 lakh tonnes were processed earlier through bio-remediation, but the work stalled due to contractual and legal complications. We must resume that work promptly because fresh waste enters the site every day,” he said, recalling the waste landslide tragedy of 2019.20% increase in violationsMangaluru DCP (crime and traffic) Ravi Shankar K requested people to contact the police control room if they come across any traffic violation. “Last year we registered 1,45,000 cases and collected Rs 9.6 crore in fines. This year, we are seeing a 20% increase over that. We have submitted proposals for developing many junctions. The number of signalised junctions here is less. Recently we met with the MCC commissioner and submitted 12 requests. The stretch from the Clock Tower to Hampankatta and Ambedkar Circle is very narrow, and the road capacity is limited. Meanwhile, vehicular volume is rising. Hence, we proposed a flyover starting from the Clock Tower via Ambedkar Circle up to Kankanady Junction,” the DCP said.
