To increase the volume of waste collected at the doorstep of residents, GVMC has identified another 32 wards.

"Workers in these wards and members of self-help groups are being given training and we are ready to partner with NGOs too in the activity," Municipal Commissioner M. Hari Narayanan said on Tuesday.

These steps were being taken with a view to reducing dumping of wet waste at the dump yard that would result in the release of gases and GVMC would endeavour to reduce the volume by the World Environment Day on June 5, he told mediapersons here.

At the mini compost yard at Gajuwaka 20 to 30 tonnes of waste from 2400 commercial establishments and market yards was transported and compost made. The compost was being used for the corporation greenery, he said.

Profession tax

Following the issue of GOs by the State government, GVMC would collect profession tax directly from 2017-18. Until now the Commercial Taxes Department was doing it and transferring it to the corporation. “We have taken the data from them and necessary training is given to the staff,” Mr. Hari Narayanan said. It is expected to bring a revenue of Rs. 10 crore to Rs. 15 crore. It can be paid for now at e-seva, ‘Mee Seva’ and ‘Saukaryam’ centres and later online facility will also be introduced.

The Commissioner said with more people utilising the 5 % incentive for payment of annual property tax, in April Rs. 31.7 crore, much higher than Rs. 17 crore in the corresponding period last year was paid.

He said there was no problem with regard to water supply and GVMC was the first to come out with a Summer Action Plan in the entire State.

Of the city’s first five public e-toilets built now, four are ready for public use.

Built by Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (HPCL) for Mangaluru City Corporation, two each are in Lalbagh and Kadri Park and another one is near the Government Wenlock Hospital in Hampankatta.

The public sector oil company has built them under its corporate social responsibility, a corporation official told The Hindu .

They said that the toilet near the hospital cannot be commissioned immediately due to an issue pertaining to linking it to the sewage network. A portion of the concrete road would have to be cut for taking up this work.

The other four toilets have been provided with water, electricity facility and linked to the sewage network.

M. Vasanta Rao, Chief Regional Manager, HPCL, said that the company spent Rs. 30 lakh on them at Rs. 6 lakh each. He said that the toilets would be commissioned this month, if possible next week. A user could enter the toilet by inserting Rs. 1 coin and also coins of other denomination.

The corporation official said that the unmanned toilet had automatic flushing and sanitising facility. When a user entered it, lights and the exhaust fan will switch on automatically and go off once the user leaves the toilet. Hand wash facility will also be available.

Mr. Rao said that the company would hand them over to the civic body after they are commissioned. They would have to be maintained by the corporation.

He said that the company would continue to associate with the civic body this year too. It could be building more public toilets or any other project as suggested by the civic body.

Mangaluru selected under smart city mission of the Union government hitherto lacked e-toilets.