Mysore/Mysuru: Delhi-based Susthira Trust will manage Construction and Demolition (C&D) debris which is collected across the city for the next five years. This was unanimously decided at the Council meeting of  Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) held here yesterday which was presided by Mayor Tasneem.

This has provided a long term solution to the problem and has expected people to stop dumping C&D waste on Ring Road and Service Road henceforth.

Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha explained to the members the advantages of fixing an agency like possibility of bagging the ‘clean city’ title once the problem of C&D waste was addressed. The House resolved to give a piece of land required for setting up of the C&D Debris Management Unit at J.P. Nagar for a period of five years and also put certain conditions on the company which included ensuring revenue for the MCC and transporting the debris to the unit.

After protracted discussion, Mayor Tasneem made this announcement in her last meeting as the Mayoral polls are scheduled to be held during second or third week of next month.

Clear garbage mound at Sewage Farm

Pratap Simha appealed to the Corporators to work jointly to clear the mounds of garbage piled at Sewage Farm due to inconvenience to people living in surrounding places. He said as per direction from previous District Minister, V. Somanna, team of officials led by the then DC had visited a Plant in Uttar Pradesh to study but nothing happened subsequently. The school-going children were falling ill and going out of conscious due to nauseating smell emanated from the piled up garbage. The Corporation must fix an agency and take immediate steps for the shifting of mounds of garbage failing which more residents in that part of city would fall ill.

Protest by Cong. members

Congress members staged a dharna in the Well for more than 15 minutes protesting against inclusion of a work being taken up under 15th Finance Commission. While Read and Record process of works suggested by the Consultative Committee under 15th Finance Commission was going on, the construction of the compound wall around the Sewage Farm became a bone contention.

B.V. Manjunath, BJP Corporator, contended that as per guidelines given by Government of India, only 25 percent of funds could be earmarked for Solid Waste Management (SWM) works or otherwise the Committee headed by the DC would reject it. The construction of compound wall would be considered as civil works and the entire list of works would be rejected. Instead, the setting up of Bio Gas Plants could be taken up on Satya Harishchandra Road at  the foot of Chamundi Hill and on High Tension Road in Hebbal — the first of its kind in the entire State.

Prema Shankaregowda of JD(S) batted for the Bio Gas Plants and said there was delay of over six months in delay of executive of works sanctioned under 15th Finance Commission. BJP Corporators and JD(S) members supported her demand. This was opposed by Congress members, former Mayor Pushpalatha Jagannath, Ayub Khan and Arif Hussain.

When Mayor Tasneem gave ruling regarding inclusion of Bio Gas Plants instead of the compound wall construction, the Congress members including Deputy Mayor Sridhar trooped into the Well and staged dharna. The meeting was adjourned for 15 minutes after Congress members raised slogans seeking justice.

When the House re-assembled, Commissioner Gurudatta Hegde said that proposal of works to be taken up under 15th Finance Commission has been submitted to the DC and it was not correct to insert the Bio Gas Plant work in place of the compound wall at this juncture. It would be better to submit a separate proposal for the Bio Gas Plants.

The Mayor, in her ruling, said Commissioner and Congress Corporators would be held responsible in case the DC rejects the proposal submitted by MCC. The DC must approve other works if the compound wall construction does not come under 15th Finance Commission project.

Give title deeds to betel leaf growers

Begum, a Corporator, has urged MCC to distribute title deeds to betel leaf growers who have been allotted land in Sewage Farm. She said it should be done fast as it was more than two years since the previous Government had promised allotment of land to betel leaf growers.

B.V. Manjunath, a BJP member said the MCC had already adopted resolution on giving land for betel leaf growers to build house. However, this has not happened due to problems of land conversion. It was better for the Corporation to distribute title deed without land conversion.

Slaughter house in Kesare

MCC Council meeting also decided to set up an abattoir in Kesare after taking consent of local people. Arif Hussain and Ayub Khan, both Congress Corporators, urged the Corporation to establish a new slaughter house in the interest of city cleanliness and health of citizens since the existing abattoir in N.R. Mohalla was dirty and smelly due to blockage of underground drainage facility. That was sufficient for the city population a few decades ago but now the city has grown by leaps and bounds and a hi-tech slaughter house was needed to supply a hygiene meat to citizens. An average of 1,200 to 2,000 sheep and goats are slaughtered daily in N.R. Mohalla abattoir in most unhygienic condition and water was not available in sufficient quantity to wash it before selling to meat eaters.

Recently, this issue figured during a meeting chaired by Co-operation and District Minister S.T. Somashekar. In that meeting, it was decided to shelve this project due to strong opposition from local people. The Minister had directed MCC Commissioner Gurudatta Hegde to stop going ahead with this project.

After both Congress Corporators prevailed upon Pratap Simha to show green light to the project in the interest of cleanliness in city, the MP agreed to meet local people before taking any final decision. The MP put full stop to the topic by promising to decide on the course of project only after the consent of local populace.