Civic body chief calls for active participation

Tiruchi Corporation Commissioner N. Ravichandran has called for active participation of all stakeholders in enforcing the revamped rules on solid waste management.

Inaugurating a one-day workshop on Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, organised by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and the Ministry of Forests and Environment in association with Tiruchi City Corporation here on Tuesday, he said that as per the revamped Municipal Solid Waste (Management and Handling) rules, 2016, every citizen had a duty to segregate waste at source, store them separately and hand them over to sanitary workers.

As mandated by the rules, Tiruchi Corporation had already made source segregation compulsory. Sanitary workers were reaching more than 2.5 lakh households and commercial establishments daily in the city to collect solid waste. The system had begun showing expected results.

Mr. Ravichandran said the participation of various stakeholders, including citizens, officials, sanitary workers, civic activists and environmentalists, was important for success. The main waste generators, including markets, industrial houses, hotels, restaurants, hostels and marriage halls, should develop on-site composting system to produce organic manure from biodegradable waste. They should also explore the possibilities of converting waste into energy.

Preeti Dinesh kumar, Assistant Director, National Productivity Council, who coordinated the workshop, said civic bodies had to take time-bound actions to implement the revamped solid waste management rules. They had been communicated the methods and best practices of handling and disposing six categories of solid waste including e-waste.

It had so far conducted workshops in Chennai and Madurai. It would conduct a similar workshop in Coimbatore soon.