Two years after announcing privatisation of conservancy operations in all 15 zones in the city, Chennai Corporation has decided to restrict private participation in municipal solid waste collection.
As many as 9,787 conservancy workers on the rolls of Chennai Corporation will continue to collect waste in the city. Municipal solid waste collection in zones such as Royapuram, Anna Nagar and Tondiarpet will not be privatised. Permanent workers of Chennai Corporation will start waste collection in such areas in October.
“We do not want to rely entirely on private conservancy operators. The right mix of private and Corporation workers will be suited for conservancy operations in the city,” said an official.
Chennai Corporation Council in July 2012 approved the proposal for gradual privatisation of conservancy operations in all zones of the city. Conservancy operations in Teynampet, Kodambakkam and Adyar are already managed by Ramky Enviro Engineers.
The scope of work in privatisation of conservancy operations includes street cleaning and door-to-door collection of garbage. Starting October, a new private conservancy operator is expected to carry out conservancy operations in Valasaravakkam, Alandur, Perungudi and Sholinganallur zones, collecting 800 tonnes of waste from doorsteps and taking it directly to Perungudi dumpyard.
Another private operator will collect waste from the northern parts and dump it in Kodungaiyur directly. The civic body has already asked the companies to prepare a plan for waste collection, segregation and disposal without bins and transfer stations.
