Segregation of waste to be made mandatory

Corporation plans to penalise those who fail to comply

Workers clearing up garbage in Tiruchi as new rules come into force on June 5. Photo:

In an attempt to strengthen and improve solid waste management in the city, Tiruchi Corporation has drawn up a slew of measures towards ensuring effective segregation of bio-degradable and non-degradable wastes at source.

The new rules, which will come into force on June 5, makes segregation of wastes mandatory and authorises the Corporation to levy penalties on residents and commercial establishments that fail to comply. The Corporation, on its part, has committed to ensuring collection of non-degradable solid wastes on a specific day every week. Pushcarts will be deployed in narrow streets that cannot be accessed by heavy vehicles to collect the waste.

Under the initiative, the Corporation will collect non-degradable wastes from households and other places on Wednesdays. Hence, sanitary workers will not collect degradable wastes from households on that day. Further, the civic body also plans to set up solid waste segregation centres in different parts of the city. Residents, who fail to segregate their solid wastes, will be levied a penalty of ₹10. Under the new rules, they are barred from dumping non-degradable wastes in the garbage bins provided in their localities. Violators will be levied a penalty of ₹50 the first time. For repeat offences, the penalty will be ₹100. All shops and commercial establishments generating more than 20 kg of non-degradable waste a week will have to directly hand them over to the solid waste segregation centres in their wards. Those found dumping the waste in Corporation garbage bins will be levied a fine of ₹200 the first time. Repeat offences will attract a penalty of ₹500. Residents and traders found dumping their wastes on the street will have to pay penalties ranging from ₹250 to ₹500.

Residents in apartment complexes should install containers to collect a week’s quantum of non-degradable waste in their premises at their own cost. The solid waste should be handed over to the sanitary workers on Wednesdays. They should also have separate bins for collecting domestic hazardous waste such as sanitary napkins and diapers. Gated communities with more than 25 households should install incinerators to dispose such hazardous waste.

Establishments generating high volume of thermocol waste should hand them over directly at the notified solid waste disposal centres. Persons found dumping plastic and other waste in public places, water bodies and vacant plots will attract penalties ranging from ₹500 to ₹2,000.

Speaking to

The Hindu , Corporation Special Officer-cum-Commissioner N. Ravichandran said the civic body would launch a campaign to sensitise city residents to the new regulations. It would convene meetings with residents welfare associations, residents associations of apartments, traders, members of self help groups and other stakeholders ahead of enforcing the new rules.

On Saturday, he chaired a meeting with residents welfare associations. The response from the participants was good and positive, he said adding that the new rules would be publicised to receive claims and objections before being gazette notified.