Greater Chennai Corporation mulls charging bulk waste generators for waste collection as imposing fines is not solving the issue of open dumping. The modalities, such as rate cap, border locations, and raising awareness on segregation, need to be ironed out, and the Council’s approval will be sought before implementation, according to senior officials.
The plan to collect segregated waste from 1,435 BWGs that generate a total of over 2.6-lakh kg of waste is modelled after Tambaram Corporation’s recent move to outsource the collection of waste from the BWGs to three private firms, an official with the Public Health Department stated. “Those coming beyond the GCC limits will continue to be fined. The proposal will be tabled for the Council’s approval following which the necessary steps will be taken,” he added.
Several open dumping cases by bulk waste generators take place on open lands abutting residential areas, parks, and highways, claimed Mahmood Sait, CEO, Urbaser Sumeet — one of the private firms to which Greater Chennai Corporation has outsourced solid waste management in the city. “In the interior roads in Perungudi, which connect Mahatma Gandhi Road and Velachery, there is a significant amount of waste being dumped by bulk waste generators. Additionally, garbage is also being discarded in waterbodies by the bulk waste generators.”
According to him, “a complaint was submitted to the GCC about open dumping by bulk waste generators two months ago in Zone 11. The areas close to the GCC limits do not get rid of waste regularly, so the tippers come into the Corporation limits to dispose of the waste.”
“Gated communities, eateries, hotels, wedding halls, restaurants, malls, and complexes should have a licensed waste processing firm collect their waste. It’s important to make sure that the waste goes to the right landfill and it is not dumped in the open to avoid pollution,” he said.
C. Ramakrishnan of the Federation of Adyar Residents’ Association (FEDARA) claimed that about 30% of the apartment complexes do not have proper dustbin facilities where segregated waste can be discarded. “Moreover, the Chennai Corporation is not enforcing penalties strictly. Hence, throwing unsegregated waste has been rampant,” he added.
For failure to segregate waste, a fine of ₹1,000 would be imposed on the resident and ₹5,000 on the respective bulk waste generator, states GCC bylaws. Also, any resident who dumps garbage in a public place and burns it will have to pay a fine of ₹1,000.
According to a higher authority in the Corporation, the civic body has been collecting fines for open dumping — ₹2.7 crore collected in penalties in 2023 and ₹20 lakh up to February this year.
Published - July 05, 2024 09:52 pm IST
