To boost waste management and transportation, the Hyderabad civic body has decided to construct eight more  Secondary Collection and Transfer Points (SCTPs) across the city.

Already, 11 similar points, worth Rs 1.3 crore each, are operational in places like Goutham Nagar, Kukatpally, Fatehnagar, and Khajaguda. The eight new ones are a part of a larger initiative to construct 90 SCTPs in the city in stages. SCTPs are used instead of traditional transfer stations for small amounts of waste (50 to 100 tonnes per day). Swachh Auto Tippers (SATs) deliver waste, which is moved, compacted, and raised by a hook.

Within the GHMC's limits, there are 17 primary transfer stations. The need for more SCTPs arose when some of the existing ones reached capacity. Nearly 6,000 metric tonnes of municipal solid waste are produced annually in the city. Approximately 175 trucks are used to transport the waste from transfer stations to the Jawahar Nagar dump yard.

With the addition of more collection and transportation points, the SATs will be able to collect waste from colonies and dump it at the SCTPs, replacing the previous method of dumping waste directly at the 17 transfer stations. There are currently about 2,500 SATs for wet and dry garbage collection from door to door.

The GHMC officials stated that more SCTPs would minimise transfer station overload and cover the maximum catchment area. They would also result in a decrease in the number of waste bins and garbage sensitive points on city streets.

By: Shailaja K