Chennai Corporation to take over conservancy operation

By G Saravanan

Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai, on July 30, 2010:

CHENNAI: Upset over Neel Metal Fanalca’s poor performance in maintaining streets and roads “litter-free” in the four zones that were privatised, Chennai Corporation is set to take over full conservancy operations in all of its 10 zones from April 2011.

The civic body’s intention to take over full operations became clear after the Corporation Council on Thursday gave its nod to buy 93 high-calibre compacter lorries (used to transport huge volumes of garbage), at a cost of Rs 20 crore, to be used in the four zones – Pulianthope, Triplicane, Kodambakkam and Adyar – managed by Neel Metal Fanalca since 2007.

The Chennai Corporation had in March 2000 privatised three city zones – Triplicane (zone 6), Kodambakkam (zone 8) and Adyar (zone 10) – and engaged private conservancy operator CES Onyx. But after the public complained against the firm’s poor performance, the civic body declined to extend its contract with it in 2007.

After high drama in 2007, where even policemen were asked to assist in the civic body’s conservancy operations, the Corporation appointed Neel Metal Fanalca (NMF) for conservancy works in these three zones. Pulianthope zone was also given to the NMF after a year. But, like Onyx, NMF also failed to perform the work properly in the areas given to them.

The civic body reclaimed Ward-128 (Zone 8) in June. But instead of absorbing the 50-odd experienced staff, rendered jobless due to the takeover, into its other wards to improve operations, the agency preferred to send them home.