The Tiruchi Corporation is gearing up to launch its ambitious plan to
segregate solid waste at source across the city from June 5, on the
occasion of World Environment Day.

The civic body has intensified
the drive to sensitise city residents ahead of enforcing the new system,
Corporation officials said on Friday. Under the system, city residents
are required to segregate their bio-degradable and non-degradable waste
and hand over the same to the sanitary workers separately. All 2.3 lakh
households in the city besides shops and commercial establishments are
required to comply with the new regulation.

The Corporation has
announced that the non-degradable waste, including plastics, empty
bottles and metal objects, would have to be collected separately and
handed over to the sanitary workers of the civic body once a week on
Wednesdays.

The civic body has proposed to levy penalties, ranging
from Rs. 10 to Rs. 500, for residents and traders violating the rules
for the first time.

Repeat offences would attract higher penalties for different categories.

However,
Corporation Commissioner N. Ravichandran said the provision for
imposing penalties was only meant for a deterrent effect.

“We are
confident that the city residents and traders will extend their full
cooperation to make the plan a success. However, we will have no option
but to impose penalties if there are violations,” he said.

Mr.
Ravichandran said about 300 Corporation employees and officers would be
deployed to supervise and monitor the implementation of the system. “An
officer would be assigned to monitor teams of five sanitary workers each
until the system stabilises,”he said.

On the sensitisation drive,
Mr. Ravichandran said pamphlets providing details of the system were
being distributed to residents and traders.

“We have also held meetings with representatives of residents associations to brief them on the new system,” he said.

An awareness rally is also planned on June 5 to spread the message.

On
Friday, the Corporation, in association with Yugaa, a women’s social
welfare organisation, held an awareness meeting titled, ‘Tiruchi…Indhu
Namma Oooru…Namma Veedu,’ to sensitise the women on the initiative.

Speaking
at the meeting, Mr. Ravichandran said the Corporation has identified
about 200 vendors who would be handed over the non-degradable waste
collected from residents for processing or recycling. He pointed out
that the city generated about 450 tonnes of solid waste every day and
civic body has already taken steps to reduce the quantum of waste dumped
at the Ariyamangalam garbage yard by setting up 20 micro compost yards
at different parts of the city to process the solid waste collected
locally.

Terming it is an important initiative, Mr. Ravichandran
called upon the city residents to extend their full cooperation and make
it a success.

S. Amuthavalli, Executive Engineer, Tiruchi
Corporation, who made a presentation on the system, pointed out that the
initiative was an important one for the city towards reaching the top
position in the Swachh Survekshan ranking next year from its current
position of sixth cleanest city in the country.

Allirani Balaji,
president, Yugaa, said her organisation would bring together women for
improving the environment and extend its full cooperation in segregating
household waste.

College students presented a mime and skit on solid waste management on the occasion.