The city corporation is all set to start operating its transfer station for Rs 96 crore solid waste management project at Ukkadam later this week.
The station is one of four similar facilities set up as part of the JNNURM scheme implemented on the basis of a Public Private Partnership (PPP). At the moment there are transfer stations at Peelamedu, Sathy Road and now at Ukkadam. One more transfer station will come up in Ondipudur locality.
“We are completing pending work at the Ukkadam transfer station at the moment. It will be in operational soon,” said TK Ponnusamy, Commissioner, Coimbatore Corporation.
According to sources, city mayor is expected to officially launch the Ukkadam transfer station in the coming days. However, the station is yet to get power connection from the electricity board and will initially function with the help of power generators at the site. The corporation has applied for power connection from the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board and is expected to be granted power within the next two weeks.
The operation of the transfer station was delayed as it was set up at a place with no proper access road. Road construction was delayed as the Under Ground Sewage lines had to be laid to the Sewage Treatment Plant located right next to the transfer station. An alternate gravel route has been laid through which garbage laden trucks will approach the transfer station to unload the waste collected from the city before they are segregated and sent for land filling, incineration and other purposes.
“The road laying has been completed and senior corporation officials have inspected the route and transfer station site on Monday,” said a corporation official.
The total capacity of the Ukkadam transfer station is 150 tonnes daily. The PPP project is being implemented in collaboration with UPL Environmental Engineers Ltd based out of New Delhi. The estimated cost of the project is about Rs 2.5 crore. Apart from power connection, the corporation has to clear the site and also set up a compound wall at the transfer station. According to sources, corporation officials are expected to attend a high level JNNURM conference addressed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to be convened in New Delhi on December 13.
In addition to the transfer station planned in Ondipudur, one more will be set up in one of the newly added areas to cater to the city suburbs. At the moment the city corporation handles more than 550 tonnes of garbage on a daily basis.
