CHENNAI: On Wednesday, the Chennai Corporation council decided to replace Neel Metal Fanalca with the Hyderabad-based Ramky Enviro Engineers Limited for conservancy operations in three zones for seven years. Neel Metal will wind up its operations by the end of this December; however the new conservancy agency may be able to start operations only in March.Ramky Enviro will require some hand-holding from the corporation in the initial period. But the civic body, which has a shortage of conservancy workers, may be hard put to help in clearing garbage from Teynampet, Kodambakkam and Adyar zones in the interim period – January and February.While talking to TOI over phone from Hyderabad, Ram Mohan Rao, the national head of Ramky Enviro (Municipal Solid Waste Management), said the company will ask the corporation to give it three months to establish its infrastructure in the city. “If the civic body wants to start our work from January then we could do it in selected wards,” said Ram Mohan Rao.Ramky Enviro would need 70 compactors, nine trucks, 1,400 tri-cycles and some 2,000 bins for conservancy operations in the three zones. “We do not want to spoil our name by initiating operations without being prepared,” said Ram Mohan Rao. But corporation commissioner D Karthikayen said that Ramky Enviro will starts its work from January. “There is no doubt or fear regarding garbage clearance. The selected conservancy agency will start its operations on time,” he said.With a quote of Rs 1,460 per metric tonne, Ramky Enviro was the lowest bidder for the contract of clearing garbage from 88 sq km of city area. “Once we start operations, overflowing garbage in dust bins will only be a memory for the city residents. GPS-enabled systems will track the movements of the conservancy vehicles and there would be a separate department to ensure efficient garbage clearance,” said Ram Mohan Rao. Ramky Enviro does conservancy work in ten states including Andhra Pradesh besides Singapore, which is known for its cleanliness. “We will try to make Chennai a Singapore,” said Rao.