The Tiruchi Corporation would launch an awareness drive soon to discourage traders of the Gandhi Market from dispensing and using non-biodegradable plastic bags, said Commissioner K.Veera Raghava Rao, here on Thursday.
Mr.Rao told The Hindu after inspecting the market that a substantial quantity of plastic wastes was being generated at the market.
Pointing out that the Corporation Council has already adopted a resolution banning the use of plastics below 20 microns in thickness, Mr.Rao said the market would be the ideal place to start enforcing the decision and serve as a model for the city.
The Commissioner instructed traders, especially vegetable and flower vendors, to have garbage bins in front of every shop so that they could be collected easily by the sanitary workers.
Encroachment removal
He also advised the traders to remove encroachments, which obstructed the movement of people within the market. Mr.Rao assured them that clogs in the drains inside the market would be cleared soon.
The market that accounts for a major portion of the nearly 450 tonnes of solid wastes generated in the city. Traders dump the garbage within and outside the market.
Last year, the Corporation decided to terminate the contract given to the voluntary agency owing to “public complaints” over their performance.
Though many councillors of the Corporation came up with complaints against the agency initially, subsequently, some took a soft line resulting in a confused approach from the civic body.
When asked how he proposed to tackle the problem, Mr.Rao said that he would need some more time to study the problem and come up with a plan of action.
He, however, made it clear that the garbage would be collected and removed more frequently at the market.
On Thursday, a special drive was taken up to clear the garbage with about 30 additional sanitary workers being deployed at the market.
Mr.Rao also indicated that cattle catchers would be installed at the gates to prevent cattle from entering the market.
Clearing of silt
Later, the Commissioner instructed the officials to clear silt from the drainage channels serving as the storm water drains for Thillai Nagar and Anna Nagar.
He visited the Ariyamangalam garbage dump, the compost manufacturing unit there and the Corporation sewage treatment farm at Panchapur during the day.
