Trivandrum | Water Supply , Sewerage & Irrigation System

[ajithv]

Sites identified for waste treatment plants

The possible sites for the proposed waste treatment plants in the city, the number of which has now gone up to five, have been identified. Official teams will inspect the sites and take a decision soon.

Addressing reporters here after meetings with legislators, local body representatives and representatives of residents’ associations from three Assembly constituencies in the State capital at the Secretariat here on Thursday, Minister for Health V.S. Sivakumar and Minister for Urban Affairs Manjalamkuzhi Ali said the proposed plants, apart from the already announced one at Chala, at Kazhakuttom, Nemom and Vattiyoorkavu would be of 35-tonne capacity each.

With suggestions for two plants at Kazhakuttom, considering the industrial waste generated in the region, the total number of plants would now be five.

The proposed sites at Nemom are the Poojapura jail premises; opposite the Pappanamcode KSRTC workshop; and at Nedungad; while the possible sites in Vattiyoorkavu are Kudappanakunnu; the social forestry area in PTP Nagar and Malamugal. The four sites for two plants in Kazhakuttom are the campus of the Central Tuber Crops Research Institute at Sreekaryam; the University of Kerala campus at Kariavattom; the Ulloor market; and the World Market premises at Anayara.

The Ministers said Suchitwa Mission officials would soon visit these sites to check the technical feasibility, following which the procedures of calling tenders would begin. It was yet to be decided as to who would supervise the plants, whether it would be the corporation or the municipality concerned.

The Suchitwa Mission will launch a public sensitization programme at Chala on the safe and positive aspects of a waste treatment plant proposed in the region from Monday.

[ajithv]

Tapping quarries in search of water

The Kerala Water Authority (KWA), as part of its efforts to identify water sources to tide over the drought situation, is looking at the installation of micro-filters in unused water bodies, mainly quarries.

The system, to be executed by the public utility, will be tested on an experimental basis in Thiruvananthapuram, where a couple of quarries have been identified for the purpose, and then implemented by mid-March.

KWA Managing Director Ashok Kumar Singh told The Hindu that the KWA had given administrative sanction for the proposal, and the initial work was on.

Apart from those in Thiruvananthapuram, three quarries had been identified in and around Ernakulam district, mainly in Angamaly.

On the other preparations to face the drought situation, Mr. Singh said the drinking water situation in Thiruvananthapuram city was ‘comfortable,’ with its water sources, mainly the Peppara dam and the Aruvikkara reservoir, having adequate water for about 85 days.

However, the situation in surrounding areas, particularly the Neyyattinkara taluk, was ‘stressful.’ Plans were afoot to construct check dams, clean wells, de-silt water sources, and replace defunct water pumps and motors.

Water supply outlet

Water supply outlets would be opened at various spots, depending on the situation. The city’s outlet would be located at PTP Nagar, Mr. Singh said.

The water supply situation in neighbouring districts, particularly Kollam, was of concern, he said, adding that the KWA had started restricting water supply there to alternate days. There was a proposal to draw water from the Kallada river via the KIP Canal to Sasthamcotta Lake for re-charging the lake. The Rs.2.5-crore proposal was floated by the Irrigation Department and would be put into motion soon.

Another proposal was to lay 250-mm pipes on a five-km stretch to draw three million litres of water a day from the Kottiyam tank to the Kollam tank.

Meanwhile, according to a communiqué from Revenue Minister Adoor Prakash, Thiruvananthapuram district has been allotted Rs.12.47 crore from the State Disaster Management Fund to tide over the crisis. The money is to be used to augment drinking water supply and related measures. The amount sanctioned for the State is Rs.85 crore.

This includes Rs.24 crore for water source improvement and Rs.27 crore for repair and replacement of pump sets/electrical installations, an allotment of Rs.13 crore to the Ground Water Department, and Rs.22 crore to the Irrigation Department to ensure necessary precautions in districts, including Thiruvananthapuram which is classified one among the four severely hit districts.

[ajithv]

Source: Kerala Kaumudi

[ajithv]

Source: Mathrubhumi

[ajithv]

Women prisoners in Thiruvananthapuram join the battle against waste

As the city is taking up activities at various levels to solve the escalating solid waste management problem, the Women’s Prison at Attakulangara is not staying behind. From setting up a new biogas plant to starting paper bag making, the inmates and the authorities of the jail are playing their role to tackle the mounting problem.

The Rs.7-lakh biogas plant being set up at the prison can process up to 400 kg of waste. The work on the plant is expected to be completed in two months.

Project official Sajith Varma said the plant could produce up to 10 kg equivalent LPG. “Since we have the fixed dome type plant, it does not create any type of pollution and it can also process liquid waste. The maintenance cost is also very low compared to other plants,” he said.

“Inmates of the prison have also joined in the fight against plastic waste with the rest of the city residents. A five-day training on paper bag making was held for the inmates. We will start the work as soon as the funds are released,” Jail Superintendent Nazeera Beevi said.

According to Ms. Beevi, a number of products made at the jail such as soaps, dish cleaners, floor washers are in good demand and regular sales are made through the jail canteen.

Going green

The well-nurtured vegetable garden in the jail compound will turn completely organic soon. The Centre for Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Development (C-Sted) will offer one-month special training in organic manure making, vermin-composting, etc., to the inmates. C.Sted will also impart training in seed and nursery management.

According to C-Sted Director K.V. Mohammed Kunhi, the training would provide an opportunity to the inmates to start something on their own once they return to normal life.

C-Sted is selling 35 products manufactured under small-scale units under the banner of ‘Oruma’. Most of them produce cotton bags, garments, artificial flowers, umbrellas, stationery, and fancy articles. Once the work starts, possibilities of marketing the jail products would be explored, Mr. Kunhi said.

[staravindan]

Originally Posted by ajithv

Sites identified for waste treatment plants

Site opp to KSRTC workshop Pappanmcode was shortlisted for ....

Hav some sort of water treatment plant(drinking water) very much near to the bank of karamana river behind the KSRTC Bus stand pappanamcode

more over there is an cancer institute which is under construction i guess and apart from that in some of Trivandrum forum thread, i found the hanza plaza enclave, building an mall right around this same place ( correct me if its incorrect).

[remobecks]

Hope springs for vellayani lake


Even as a severe drought is brutally taking its toll on the Vellayani Lake, a glimmer of hope has begun shining from one corner for the beleaguered freshwater body in the form of a Rs.26-crore restoration project, for which an agreement has been signed and which is expected to be put in motion shortly.

The project, originally proposed by the Centre for Water Resources Development and Management (CWRDM) through the Department of Environment and now to be implemented under the aegis of the Thiruvananthapuram district panchayat, aims at ecological restoration of the lake in a phased manner over a period of five years.

Fund sources

To be executed with help from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and other funding sources, including the district panchayat’s own coffers, the project comprises about 10 components aimed at the comprehensive restoration of the lake as an ecologically rich biodiversity hub that remains a primary source of drinking water for a large area in the State capital, including the internationally popular tourist centre of Kovalam.

According to Rufus Daniel, vice-president, Thiruvananthapuram district panchayat, the project proposal had been forwarded to the district panchayat from the Department of Environment with a suggestion as well to think of removing the existing bund that divides the lake into two and to construct a bridge instead.

While such components were yet to be finalised, the agreement to go ahead with the restoration project had been signed and work would start in less than three weeks, Mr. Daniel told The Hindu.

The activities envisaged as part of the project include controlling the encroachment of the lake; compensation to ‘kayal’ land owners; agro-forestry; soil and water conservation; afforestation of adjoining areas; sustainable agriculture development; pollution abatement (including effluent treatment methods); de-silting (on the basis of hydro-graphic surveys, both manual and dredging); freshwater fisheries development (scientific aquaculture, replenishing of disappearing species, releasing native fish etc.,); setting up a laboratory for water quality assessment; weed control; conservation of flora and fauna; and awareness creation among user-groups and other social activities to protect the lake.

Various departments, including the Kerala Water Authority, will join hands to implement the project, Mr. Daniel said, adding that some of the components would also be implemented under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).

[remobecks]

Here’s some good news for capital


Providing a measure of relief to the capital city which has already started complaining of drinking water scarcity weeks ahead of the summer, the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) has started pumping water from the underground sump at Iranimuttom to the new, 25 lakh-litre capacity ground-level tank at Nelliyode.

The supply from there will directly benefit the Attukal-Thiruvallom region and the capital city in general, KWA officials said. The core area of the annual festival at the Attukal Bhagavathy Temple will be covered by the enhanced water supply, they said.

‘’In fact, we wanted to complete the work ahead of the Pongala. The work is part of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)-assisted water supply scheme,’’ KWA Chief Engineer (south) Sreekumaran Nair said.

The water from Aruvikkara is brought to the underground sump at Iranimuttom via Thirumala and Poojappura. Water is taken from there to Nelliyode, where the KWA has constructed a new ground-level tank as part of the JICA project. ‘’This, in fact, is one component of the JICA work in the capital city,’’ Sreekumaran Nair said.

The daily drinking water requirement of the capital city is 300 million litres at present. KWA officials do not expect it to vary too much during the summer months, but equitable distribution to high-lying and low-lying areas is expected to become a problem

[ajithv]

An Irish partner for Loro 3 years ago, a US partner now

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Loro Green Energy and Trading Pvt Ltd, which teamed up with Enviro Power Management Inc to win the Chalai waste-to-energy project, had earlier approached Kochi and Kozhikode corporations with a different partner. Both the projects did not materialise as the civic bodies could not be convinced about the technical feasibility and the company was referred to Suchitwa Mission.

"Many companies were turning up with various projects at that time. All we could do was to send them back to Suchitwa Mission so that the officials would be convinced about the project,'' said Kozhikode corporation deputy mayor Abdul Lateef. He was the deputy mayor in the former council too.

In Kozhikode, Loro group -- then known as Loro Marketing and Trading Pvt Ltd, a business group of NRIs -- had come up with a project to produce electricity and bio products from solid waste with the aid of Irish-based Wilson technology. It was Manoj Pillai, who is no longer associated with Loro, who had turned up as its director in 2010.

Krishnan Venkiteswaran, one of the group directors, admitted that Pillai is not associated with the company now. If the group had turned up with an Irish partner in Kozhikode and Kochi three years ago, it has re-emerged with a US partner and company - Neil Williams [Enviropower management inc] - for the Chalai project.

Asked about the change of partner, Krishnan said, ''The Irish technology was not found to be financially feasible. They were also involved in residue-derived fuel business.'' He added that the company didn't know about it initially and it changed the partner once it was known.

Documents prove that the same company officials had endorsed tall claims about the benefits of their partner three years ago. Loro Group chairman Dr Sajith Hameed had declared in 2010 that their project used a proven technology known as Wilson technology from Ireland-based Global Eco Energy Technology and that it expedited waste processing and addressed the issue of power shortage.

The group had publicly announced that this system would be made available to government institutions, local bodies and public-private enterprises.

However, the group is voicing a different view on the same company now. "The project wasn't cost-effective and we learnt it late"0, Krishnan said.

[ajithv]

Source: Metro Vaartha

[ajithv]

Source: Mathrubhumi

[ajithv]

Source: Madhyamam

[Tri Man]

Originally Posted by ajithv

Source: Madhyamam

There are several options for optimisation available.
1.Replacement or substitution of Diesel with Kerosene, Light Diesel Oil (LDO) or Super Kerosene Oil (SKO) (Price : Link).
http://www.petroleumbazaar.com/displ...onalprice.aspx
These oils cost lesser than diesel.Also,these can be purchased through government agencies.

2.Possibility of Co-generation of power or steam using the newly purchased incinerator should be explored.Anyway,they have spent 2.2 Cr.Now they have to explore various ways to make it feasible.Help of expertise from CET,VSSC,CSIR and Chemical Engineering Department of Kerala University (TKM College of Engineering) has to be sought without further delay.If it is purchased using full bank loan,the interest will be to the tune of 1.8 Lakhs per month or more.

[ajithv]

[Ajaypp]

CPM district secretary Kadakampally Surendran, on Sunday, said that the government has failed to resolve the garbage issue before the Pongala festival. ‘’The government, instead, worsened the issue after it delayed the garbage disposal activities of the City Corporation for eighteen days citing the selection of a private firm for the purpose,’’ he said.

But, unfortunately, two days ago, the Corporation was told that the firm was not willing to take up the task and that the Corporation should dispose the waste on its own,’’ said Kadakampally.

The Corporation is disposing the accumulated waste on a war footing by deploying around 500 temporary workers, he said. The government is showing double standards in the garbage issue. ‘’While it stood with the opposing group at Vilappilsala, it had no qualms to curb the agitators at Brahmapuram as the Kochi Corporation is ruled by the UDF,’’ he said.

‘’The mobile incinerator has failed and the Chalai plant has not begun operations. Urban Affairs Minister Manjalamkuzhy Ali is inept to handle the issue,’’ he said.

Source

While the Corporation has not exactly redeemed itself well in the issue, the openly biased attitude of the State Government towards the State's Capital and largest city is shocking.

[godsownpramod]

Sewage treatment Facility




Uploaded with ImageShack.us

[Ajaypp]

Chinthan Sales, the company that operates the mobile incinerator purchased by the State government in 2012, has shut down the machine alleging that the government owed it more than Rs. 30 lakh. A company representative here claimed that the government owed his firm Rs 34 lakh. While Rs. 22 lakh is reportedly the balance for the purchase of the machine, the rest is the ‘operations and maintenance'’cost for November and December 2012 and for January 2013. The incinerator, which was shifted to Anayara ahead of the Attukal Pongala, was last operated on Saturday.

"When I spoke to executive director of the Suchitwa Mission George Chackacherry about the pending payment, I received an aggressive response. “I made it clear to him that we cannot continue operating the incinerator without clarity on the government stand on the pending payment,” the company official said.

Sources in the Suchitwa Mission told The Hindu that the Missio had written a letter to SIDCO — which purchased the incinerator for the government — not to release the final payment to Chinthan Sales. A top Mission official said the letter was consequent to the non-completion of crucial alterations in the machine as suggested by the government-appointed technical committee that inspected the incinerator.

"The committee had asked the company to make changes in the device to allow garbage to fall in the middle of the incineration chamber. This has not been done. We did not want to make all the payments before these major changes were made. Now it is for the government to take a final call on the matter,” the official explained.

Source

I hate to say "I told you so" but this Government never ceases to give me opportunities to do so. Looks like we can expect a long law suit and a lot of passing the buck in the days ahead, but alas, no solution in sight to the solid waste crisis.

[anikuttan]

image hosted on flickr


image hosted on flickr


image hosted on flickr