Projects under the CITIIS 2.0 scheme, being implemented through the Smart City initiative, have now been finalised by the Belagavi City Corporation, with a focus on strengthening solid waste processing and management in the city.
The project plan has been prepared keeping Belagavi’s future requirements in mind, including the expected growth in population, increase in waste generation and the processing capacity that will be required in the coming years. The plan will now be submitted to the Smart City Department for the next stage of scrutiny.
The municipal administration was entrusted with identifying suitable projects, determining their scope and assessing the infrastructure and facilities required under CITIIS 2.0. Assistant Executive Engineer Hanmant Kaladgi was appointed as the coordinating officer for the process. He coordinated with various departments, collected the required data and oversaw the finalisation of the projects.
The infrastructure created under CITIIS 2.0 will eventually be handed over to the City Corporation. The Smart City Department has therefore advised that the projects should address not only the shortcomings in the existing waste management system but also future requirements.
Central team to inspect proposed projects
The next major step will be the submission of the project plan to the Smart City Department, following which a central team is expected to visit Belagavi for an on-site inspection.
The team will assess the proposed project locations, existing facilities, transportation infrastructure, land requirements for waste processing centres and the scope for future expansion. Changes to the proposed projects may be made based on the findings of the inspection.
The final decision on the projects to be taken up and the manner in which they will be implemented will be made after this inspection and subsequent approval.
Earlier setbacks
CITIIS 2.0 has already faced delays in Belagavi. Earlier, three projects included in the city’s proposal were rejected by the Central Government, forcing the Corporation to identify alternative projects and revise the proposal.
The Corporation had also been working on identifying three Secondary Transport Stations for scientific handling and transportation of solid waste. With the latest projects now finalised, the scheme has moved another step forward, although the proposed projects will remain subject to the central team’s inspection and final approval.