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NT Bureau
Chennai, Sept 4:

        Facing a barrage of questions and criticism, Neel Metal Fanalca, the agency entrusted with garbage clearance in three zones of Chennai Corporation, expressed confidence that in the coming weeks the sanitary and hygiene conditions on city roads and bylanes would improve rapidly.

        But media persons were not all convinced with the replies and elaborate details given by the top officials of Neel Metal at a press conference yesterday. 'Now we are focused on clearing the accumulated garbage and refuse piled up on the roads and streets in three zones. Later on, we will take up the process of source segregation of waste through door to door collection of garbage,' said S Pattabhiraman, vice-president, Neel Metal Fanalca Environment Management Pvt Ltd.

        Though the private contractor was initially allotted four zones — Pulianthope (zone - 3), Ice House (zone - 6), Kodambakkam (zone - 8) and Adyar (zone - 10), Neel Metal was yet to take up the work of garbage removal at zone-3 from the Corporation staff. The agency entered into an MoU with the Corporation in July, thus earning a one-month grace time to begin operations from 26 August, after the term of Onyx, the Singapore-based company, expired a day before. But Neel Metal was not adequately prepared in terms of manpower, machines and equipment required for clearing garbage and refuse in three zones ever since it took up operations from day one. In terms of workers, the growing attrition was a cause for worry. At present, the agency has 1,200 staff out of which 300 were on permanent rolls, though Neel Metal recruited 2,700 people initially. Hence, the growing attrition of its field staff was a major concern for the management. 'We had placed orders for garbage bins in end-July with a Gujarat firm. But due to fire at its factory, we could not receive the containers on time. Now, we will be importing 3,700 bins directly,' Pattabhiraman informed.

        With tipper lorries and other light vehicles, Neel Metal had cleared more than 1,200 tonnes of garbage per day since it took over from Onyx in the three zones. But what should worry the general public and the Corporation was that the agency was still waiting for 32 compactors, 3,700 bins, 27 containers and 10 hook loaders for shifting tonnes of garbage on roadsides and interior lanes to transfer stations before eventually dumping them on landfill sites. But Pattabhiraman said Neel Metal would take possession of required vehicles and equipment by the end of September. Right now, 43 tippers were put in use for clearing off accumulated waste and another 60 vehicles deployed to shift garbage from transfer stations to dump yards, he said.

        'However, retaining manpower in waste management is tough proposition. We have 1,200 staff comprising sweepers, drivers and helpers of which 40 per cent was male and 60 per cent female,' he said.

        P S Batra, CEO, Neel Metal Products Ltd, said under Operation Clean Chennai the agency would collect daily waste and refuse from households and commercial outlets at a fixed time daily. 'We are distributing pamphlets and taking up educational campaign to create awareness on the process of source segregation of waste into three categories — recyclable, biodegradable and non-biodegradable refuse,' Batra said. But he added that Neel Metal could not take up door to door clearance right away as they had to first clear off the mounds of garbage piled up on roads and interior lanes.

        Neel Metal Products Ltd, a Delhi-based company, has floated a joint venture — Neel Metal Fanalca — with South American major in solid waste management, Fanalca, SA which has 15 years experience in garbage clearance in municipal zones to undertake conservancy work in select areas of Chennai Corporation.