Mounesh Vishwakarma
Daijiworld Media Network - Bantwal
Bantwal, Nov 19: The comprehensive waste management facility or Materials Recovery Facilty (MRF) established at Shambur within Narikombu gram panchayat limits, aimed at handling solid waste from 57 gram panchayats of Bantwal and Ullal taluks, has been completed at a cost of Rs 1.95 crore. The facility will commence trial operations from Wednesday, November 20.
Located on a one-acre site in the Mundejor area (Survey No. 24/1J), the facility spans approximately 7,000 square feet and has a daily processing capacity of 7 tons of dry waste. It will serve 40 gram panchayats in Bantwal taluk and 17 in Ullal taluk, covering a total of 99,520 households and commercial establishments.
Although the facility was scheduled to start operations months ago, various delays postponed its completion. The installation of machinery and other major works are now finished, including the roofing and other civil construction. A concrete road has been constructed for better access to the facility. The first MRF unit in Dakshina Kannada was set up at Tenkedapadavu, Mangaluru. Shambur, along with Ujire in Beltangady and Kedambadi in Puttur, was approved for MRF facilities in the second phase.
No financial burden on gram panchayats
Currently, vehicles under the Swachh Vahini initiative collect waste from each gram panchayat and bring it to their local solid waste management units, where it is sorted and stored. These will be mapped and transported to the MRF unit for further processing. At the MRF, the waste will be processed, segregated, and sold as raw material or fuel to various production units, such as cement factories. A technical and administrative committee has been established for the facility's management.
Typically, gram panchayats either pay to dispose of dry waste or the management company pays them for collection. However, Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat has introduced a zero-fee model where no party pays the other. This system allows gram panchayats to provide dry waste without financial strain.
Funding allocation
The MRF facility, implemented by the Department of Rural Drinking Water and Sanitation under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Rural) of Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat, has a total cost of Rs 1.95 crore, with Rs 1.46 crore for civil works and Rs 48.5 lac for machinery. The funding includes Rs 98 lac from gram panchayats, Rs 32 lac from the Swachh Bharat Mission (Rural), Rs 35 lac from taluk panchayat grants, and Rs 20 lac from zilla panchayat funds.
For waste collection vehicles, a grant of Rs 24 lac from MCF's CSR funds is utilized.
Operations to start tomorrow: EO Sachin
Most of the MRF's construction is complete, and machinery installation has concluded. Trial operations will start tomorrow with approximately 15 staff members initially involved. As most processes are mechanized, the staff will be trained to ensure the official inauguration occurs within a month, said taluk panchayat executive officer Sachin Kumar.
Though initially faced with opposition, the construction has now been completed with the support of villagers and gram panchayat members. Around 15 local individuals have secured employment through the facility, which is a significant achievement for the community, noted Narikombu gram panchayat president Santosh Kumar.