Tata Group firm Jamshedpur Utilities & Services Company (JUSCO) is all set to foray into Odisha to implement three urban infrastructure projects in the pilgrimage town of Puri.
The Odisha government is close to awarding three projects- renovation of waste water treatment plant at Banki Muhan, installation of an effluent treatment plant at Pejanala and municipal solid waste treatment project at Grand Road, Puri.Together, the three projects have a financial implication of Rs 30.58 crore.
"The state government has nominated JUSCO for implementing three urban infrastructure projects in Puri. The chief minister's office has already cleared the proposal. We are soon going to award the projects to JUSCO", said a government official.
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Jayanta Sarangi, chairman of Puri municipality said "A technical team of JUSCO and officials of the state government visited the site nearly two months back. It has come to our knowledge that the government will award three urban projects to JUSCO in Puri. But work will commence after an agreement is signed between the government and the service provider. Our major challenge is to clear up the waste on the Grand Road."
JUSCO's entry into the urban infrastructure realm in Puri is set to give a facelift to the holy town thronged by tourists.
Management of solid waste and effluents is a major challenge for Puri with a per capita waste generation of 0.5 kg.Since Puri draws a huge crowd in the form of religious and leisure tourists throughout the year, the floating population adds more waste into the stream.
The location of Puri and its religious importance has made waste management more challenging with limited resources with the city being unsuitable for land filling. Around 40 per cent of Puri's population reside in slums and it has a floating population of nearly 200,000.
Puri municipality became the first in the state to make arrangements for scientific disposal of solid waste. Every year, the municipality spends around Rs 15 lakh on solid waste management.
The core competency of JUSCO, a comprehensive urban infrastructure services provider, is creation and subsequent operation and maintenance of urban infrastructure and services. One of its areas of business is integrated township management that aims at providing civic and municipal services in an integrated manner in a full-fledged municipal area.
