The Local Self-Government department has constituted committees at the State and district levels to oversee the biomining and bioremediation of 20 legacy dump sites identified across Kerala and ensure timely completion. Last month, the State government had awarded two contracts worth ₹95.24 crore for the biomining project to Nagpur-based SMS Limited as part of the World Bank funded Kerala Solid Waste Management Project (KSWMP) under the department.
As part of the project, heaps of solid waste piled up over the years in 20 towns across the State will be removed with an expected retrieval of 66 acres of prime urban land. The land redeemed through the project will be utilised for creating waste management projects such as garbage processing facilities. The time-frame set for completion of the project is 270 days.
Monitoring of progress
The State-level monitoring committee will be headed by the Chief Engineer, LSGD, and will have representatives from the KSWMP, the Suchitwa Mission, the State Pollution Control Board. The district-level committees will be headed by the Executive Engineer, District Panchayat. The district level committees will monitor the implementation of the works in compliance with the approved design and methodology on a fortnightly basis.
The Assistant Engineers of the respective urban local bodies will review and verify the weighbridge logs related to the quantity of the waste, recyclables, compost or any other material removed from the dump site.
The towns benefiting from the biomining project are Chalakudy, Iritty, Kalamassery, Kalpetta, Kasaragod, Kayamkulam, Koothattukulam, Kothamangalam, Kottarakara, Kunnamkulam, Koothuparamba, Malappuram, Manjeri, Mavelikara, Muvattupuzha, North Paravur, Palakkad, Vadavathoor, Vadakara and Wadakkanchery.
