The Tiruchirapalli City Corporation is all set to launch a major initiative aimed at source segregating biodegradable and non-degradable solid wastes. The move comes after long years of neglect of the crucial aspect in solid waste management. Though similar initiatives were attempted earlier in a small way in a few parts of the city, this is the first time that the corporation has planned to go for the exercise on a larger scale.
The move is in line with the Supreme Court directive on implementing the Solid Waste Management Rules 2000 and also in the wake of the frequent wild fires on unsegregated mounds of solid wastes at the Ariyamangalam garbage dump.
“We have decided to take up the exercise at 400 places, each a cluster of a minimum of 500 houses, across the city. The initiative will initially be launched in 160 of these places from July 15,” Corporation Commissioner V.P.Thandapani told The Hindu .
Corporation sanitary workers will carry different bins on pushcarts to collect and segregate the wastes as “wet” (biodegradable) and “dry” wastes such as plastics, paper, and other recyclable waste.
The civic body will set up four centres, one in each of the four zones in the city, for collecting and processing these recyclable wastes separately.
Biodegradable wastes would be sent to the existing bio-manufacturing unit at Ariyamangalam and to another one planned at Panchapur.
The segregation process will gradually be extended to cover the entire city in a phased manner.
Mr.Thandapani said of the 400 tonnes of solid wastes generated in the city every day, about 55 to 60 per cent were biodegradable . By segregating the non-degradable waste, much of the problem in handling and processing solid waste in the city is expected to be solved.
The corporation has also decided to follow the model for schools, hotels, and eateries in the city.
Private schools have already been asked to procure separate bins for collecting degradable and non-degradable wastes.
Corporation workers will collect the wastes directly from the schools and hotels. The civic body has already decided to hike the service charge for collection of garbage from hotels and eateries in the city.
The revised fee structure is expected to be implemented once the system of direct collection is introduced.
