A team of senior officials from the State government visited the sites where the Tambaram Municipality is carrying out various projects for better handling of solid-waste management and providing safe drinking water.
G. Prakash, Commissioner, Municipal Administration; M. Elangovan, regional director, Municipal Administration; and V. Murugesan, regional municipal engineer, Municipal Administration; visited the water-purification plants and solid-waste management project centre at Tambaram to gain first-hand information about the progress of the project.
Tambaram Municipality commenced the construction of 20 smaller micro-compost yards and 19 more would be constructed to cover the entire 39 wards. Non-degradable plastics are being sent to Tamil Nadu Cement Corporation in Ariyalur by Tambaram, Anakaputhur and Sembakkam municipalities.
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An official from the Department of Municipal Administration said municipalities have been implementing various measures in minimising the waste being sent to landfills. The new rules put the onus on the bulk generators of waste, including hotels, markets and resident welfare associations of gated colonies, which would need to segregate waste into wet (biodegradable), dry (plastic, paper, metal, wood or the like) and domestic hazardous (diapers, sanitary napkins, empty containers of cleaning agents, insect repellents and batteries.)
Besides making the segregation of waste at source mandatory, the new rules also require manufacturers of sanitary napkins and diapers to provide pouches for proper disposal. The concept of establishing micro-compost yards, turned out to be a successful model in solid-waste management. The bio-degradable waste would be sold to general public and put into use to establish more gardens inside these Green Houses built in the municipality.