Pithapuram civic body gets refuge compactor

Pithapuram (East Godavari): As part of the Swachh Survekshan-2018, 16 automatic truck-mounted refuge compactors, each costing Rs 40 lakh, have been sanctioned to East Godavari district. The vehicle handles six tonnes garbage in each trip. 

Kakainada and Rajamahendravaram civic bodies have been supplied with three each. Municipalities and nagara panchayats will get one vehicle each. Major cities like Visakhapatnam and Guntur will get five vehicles each. 

In fact, 140 vehicles have been bought by spending Rs 42.48 crore. The compactor automatically lifts dumpers filled with garbage, unloads them and transports them to the dumping yard. Drivers have been given special training on how to operate the vehicles.

Environment engineers and sanitary inspectors will receive training soon. The officials say that the vehicles would make collection of garbage easy and would result in drastic decrease in number of sanitation workers. Each and every municipality requires at least 60 dumpers to fully utilise the vehicles. 

People say that the refuge compactors would be of no use as it would be able to operate only on the main road as the lanes and bylanes are out of bounds for the vehicle.

The town residents question the rationale behind acquiring the vehicle at such a huge cost. They urge the authorities to increase the number of sanitation workers and use their services in the segregation of wet and dry garbage.