Finland offers help to modernise Delhi’s civic amenities

NEW DELHI - Finland Tuesday offered a helping hand to the national capital for making its civic services more purposeful and modern, an official said.

This was conveyed to Delhi Urban Development and Finance Minister A.K. Walia by Finland’s Ambassador Terhi Hakala and counsellor Juha Pyykko at a meeting at the state secretariat Tuesday.

The meeting also focused on exploring possibilities of co-operation in the fields of waste management, improvement in sewer management besides multi-utility pipe and cabling management.

According to the official, Walia outlined in the meeting that the city is facing a challenge of disposal of huge solid waste generated on a daily basis.

“The Finnish ambassador offered the new technologies in waste management and generation of power from the waste. The segregation of 7,000 tonnes of solid waste per day is yet to be taken up. Also, the city has no land to develop the new land-fill sites. That is why, the government is keen to have a better disposal system of waste,” the official added.

There are nearly 50 power generation units in Finland where solid waste is being utilised for the purpose. Besides, the northern European country has also developed a feasible model for multi-utility pipes and cabling management.

The Finnish ambassador stated that her country has developed a technology to clean small channels of rivers and long drains.

“Both sides agreed to constitute a sub-group to explore areas of mutual co-operation,” it was decided at the meeting.

Walia said the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) is all set to commission a 1.2-km long 7/7 metre tunnel to accommodate all utility service lines, cables, air-conditioning appliances and transformers to avoid digging and cutting on the roads.

“The city governor has also started to prepare 2031 sewer master plan,” the official said.

Delhi Jal Board chief executive officer Ramesh Negi, senior officials from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, NDMC, urban development department and planning department were also present at the meeting.