The Thiruvananthapuram city Corporation has introduced a jetting-cum-suction vehicle which will enable more effective collection and scientific processing of septage waste.
With the deployment of the vehicle, the difficulties in collecting waste with less moisture content will be solved to an extent. The jetter system will be used to spray a jet of water into the septic tank, which will then be collected by the suction pump along with the waste material.
Licensing system
The Corporation had introduced a licensing system for private vehicles for septage waste collection in 2019. The civic body introduced the licensing system after rampant illegal collection of septage waste across the city was noticed. The collected waste was often dumped in waterbodies in different places. After the introduction of the system, waste collected by the GPS-equipped trucks are taken to the treatment plant at Muttathara.
Public can log their requests for septage collection through the ‘Smart Trivandrum’ app, which can be downloaded from Google playstore. The user fee can be remitted online. When the vehicle reaches the waste treatment plant with the collected waste, the information will reach the control room (contact- 94964 34488) in the Corporation. Currently, one tanker owned by the Corporation and 33 private tankers are being used for septage collection activities. For collection of septage waste up to 5,000 litres, the rate is ₹3,540 and for waste up to 8,000 litres, it is ₹7,080. Panchayats and municipalities adjacent to the city are also making use of the service.
₹7-crore revenue
Over the past four years, a total of 33.5 crore litres of septage waste has been processed at the Muttathara plant. The Corporation has netted a revenue of around ₹7 crore, while the vehicle owners have earned ₹18 crore.
Mayor Arya Rajendran said that the Corporation aimed at further expanding the successful septage collection model, which had earned it national-level awards.
