The Times of India        23.05.2017   

Segregate 17% waste by June 30: Corporation to officials

Siddharth Prabhakar | TNN | May 23, 2017, 09.53 AM IST

CHENNAI: All zones in the city have to ensure that 17% of the waste generated in their jurisdiction is segregated by June 30, Greater Chennai Corporation has ordered its officials.

Corportional commissioner D Karthikeyan, zonal level officials said, was keen on source segregation taking off in a big way and was conducting review meetings every Saturday. Of the nearly 5,500 tonnes of solid waste generated in the city daily, 4,500 tonnes are garbage.

The segregated waste is to be sent to compost pits or bio-methanation plants. Some zones already use such fuel. One Amma canteen in Valasaravakkam partially runs on fuel generated from waste, while one near Chamiers Road operates entirely on such fuel, officials said.

The manure is also being used in corporation parks and the leftover sold for 20 a kg. "Compost pits in areas like T Nagar and Mylapore which generate lot of market waste are able to generate more manure," said an official.

Over the past 45 days, corporation officials in Ambattur and Teynampet have been going door to door, urging residents to start source segregation of waste.

In Teynampet, where staff of Ramky Enviro Engineers, have been helping, nearly 20,000 households have been covered, with 10% of the 62 tonnes of waste generated daily segregated. In Valasaravakkam, 1.5 tonnes of the 190 tonnes waste generated is segregated, an official said.

 

Cooperation from residents is necessary, said Ravi Nandyala, founder-president of Jeth Nagar Residents Association (JERA) in Mandaveli. Along with persuading residents to join the campaign, JERA is also trying to bring in a zero bin concept, where the dust bins on the streets are reduced gradually. "We have created litter-free zones and have trained people in segregating waste at their homes," he said.