Kochi Corporation to seek State government’s support for biomining project
The cost of biomining of legacy waste at the Brahmapuram plant has gone up from ₹119 crore to ₹142 crore; Mayor says Finance Commission grant of ₹39 crore could be used for biomining, while another ₹25 crore is expected from Suchithwa Mission
KOCHI
The Kochi Corporation Council on Tuesday decided to seek assistance from the State government in the wake of the cost of biomining of legacy waste at the civic body’s solid waste treatment plant at Brahmapuram going up from ₹119 crore to ₹142 crore.
The increase in the estimate amount was based on an assessment by the National Institute of Technology – Calicut (NIT-C).
According to the Corporation’s estimate, the quantity of legacy waste was approximately 7 lakh tonnes, based on which the biomining work was awarded to a Pune-based firm in 2023. The NIT-C survey estimated it at 8.40 lakh tonnes, based on which the civic body estimated an increased expenditure of ₹23 crore more.
Mayor M. Anilkumar hoped that the Finance Commission grant of around ₹39 crore could be used for biomining, which is estimated at ₹142 crore now, while another ₹25 crore is expected from the Suchithwa Mission. The balance of ₹78 crore will have to be raised.
Alleging that the Corporation had a casual attitude towards implementing the biomining project, Opposition councillors said the quantity of legacy waste was 4.9 lakh tonnes when the project was awarded to a firm in 2021. That agreement was scrapped citing that it had failed to implement the project as had been required, and the work was awarded to a Pune-based firm in 2023, after which the quantity of waste was estimated at 7 lakh tonnes. Now, it is said that the quantity has further gone up to 8.40 lakh tonnes, for which an explanation is needed, they said.
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