The Kodaikanal Municipality has planned to introduce stringent measures on sale and use of plastics and collect annual registration fees and monthly deposit from shops selling such items to make Kodaikanal a plastic-free zone.
Moreover, residents will have to pay minimum user charges to the municipality for collecting and disposing of domestic waste. Those who failed to follow the guidelines in using and selling plastics and in disposing of waste safely will be fined up to ₹7,000.
Above all, establishments and buildings on 5,000 sq.ft or more will have to find their own source to process bio-degradable waste and recycle non-bio-degradable waste generated by them.
They should not depend on the municipality for disposing of their waste as it will not collect waste from them. If they request, it will collect only non-bio-degradable waste fit for recycling. These guidelines on plastic and waste will come into force within one and a half month.
Briefing on plastic waste management and solid waste management programmes here on Monday, Municipal Commissioner S. Saravanan said all shops selling and using plastics should register their names with the municipality remitting ₹40,000 per annum and for getting licence to sell plastic bags.
Besides, each seller will have to pay ₹4,000 per month as fees. Such stringent norms will force several sellers and users to shift to alternative materials.
Under solid waste management, all residents will have to segregate waste and hand over it to conservancy workers at the collection point, failing which they will be fined. Cumulative method will be adopted for fining regular defaulters. Recycling of bio-non-degradable waste would be done by private parties, he added.
Explaining the tax structure, Municipal Health Officer S. Ram Kumar said four slabs of taxes ranging from ₹20 to ₹200 per month would be levied for residents on the basis of built area.
Hotels with restaurants and other commercial establishments will have to pay ₹7,000 for six months. If they failed to register their names and remit monthly fees, they could be fined and even shops sealed.
To ensure cent per cent collection of waste, 80 workers in addition to the existing workers would be hired through private agencies for door-to-door collection, he added.
