Improved sanitation plans pay off in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: The recently launched Secondary Collection and Transfer Points (SC&TP) across Hyderabad has started to yield positive results with municipal authorities now in a better position to manage the garbage generated in areas under GHMC more effectively. In Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation circles where such new facilities were introduced, cleanliness at the existing garbage transfer […]

Hyderabad: The recently launched Secondary Collection and Transfer Points (SC&TP) across Hyderabad has started to yield positive results with municipal authorities now in a better position to manage the garbage generated in areas under GHMC more effectively. In Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation circles where such new facilities were introduced, cleanliness at the existing garbage transfer stations and their vicinities has significantly improved.

Moreover, the garbage transfer stations are no longer overloaded with garbage and the Swachh Auto Tippers (SATs) queuing up near these stations to empty their load has become a less common sight. Currently, the municipal solid waste disposal process in the city involves SATs collecting garbage directly from households and dumping them at the transfer stations, from where the garbage is transported to Jawaharnagar dump yard. However, waste collected from public places is also dumped at such garbage transfer stations. However, with the launch of SC&TP facilities, the municipal officials have managed to reduce unnecessary load on the transfer stations.

For instance, the garbage collected from households and public places in GHMC Chandanagar circle is no longer being dumped in the transfer station located in Deepthisri Nagar and Khajaguda before getting transported to Jawaharnagar dump yard. Instead, the waste is now transported to the SC&TP in HUDA Colony and a similar facility located on the Kukatpally- Madhapur stretch. Similarly, the waste collected from Mehdipatnam circle is being dumped in the mobile SC&TP allotted to their locality and is no longer being transported all the way to Ziaguda transfer station.

As a result of additional SC&TPs, instances of spillage of collected garbage on roads, garbage being scattered near transfer stations, hazards caused due to garbage being transported in open vehicles, soil contamination and leachate and other issues have gone down. The benefits of these new facilities do not end here, as GHMC officials maintained that efficiency of door-to-door-garbage collection has increased. “As commuting distance and waiting time for auto tippers near transfer stations has reduced, the number of trips made by them to collect the waste from households has increased,” GHMC officials from sanitation wing, maintained.

400 more SATs

Meanwhile, to further improve cleanliness, 400 more SATs are being procured, he said. The SC&TPs are containerised vehicles, i.e, hermetically sealed ones coupled with hook loader vehicles so that the SATs can directly tip into these containerised vehicles emptying the garbage.