The Hindu 30.08.2013
Coimbatore emulates Pune for eco-friendly measures
Carry out any of the following and you shall have the
Coimbatore Corporation knocking on your door with tax concession:
segregate waste, or harvest rainwater, or tap solar energy to power your
house, or avoid selling and using plastic tumblers, carry bags,
plastic-coated plates, etc.
The Corporation mooted
this proposal at Thursday’s urgent council meeting and the council
passed the resolution. The Corporation has taken a cue from the Pune
Municipal Corporation, where such a scheme is successfully functioning.
Thursday’s
resolution says that in order to encourage residents to avoid use of
plastics, tap solar energy and segregate waste, the Corporation shall
provide incentive, possibly a tax concession. The resolution, in the
first part, targets traders and retail businessmen asking them to avoid
buying plastic bags, cups, plates and selling the same to customers.
The
second part targets residents and promoters of under-construction
buildings to harvest rainwater. And if they do so, it says the
Corporation will extend a tax concession. The third part asks residents
and owners of commercial establishments to install solar energy systems
in such a way that they save considerably on power charges.
And,
the fourth part of the resolution asks residents to segregate waste and
then hand over the segregated waste to the Corporation to avail of tax
concession.
Talking to
The Hindu
after the passage of the resolution, Corporation Commissioner G. Latha
says based on this resolution, the Corporation will devise rules and
procedures on how to implement the proposal, for it should not be in
contravention of the government’s laws.
Once the
rules are drafted and in force, residents or traders can apply in
writing stating what they have done. Based on the application,
Corporation’s staff will inspect the place, ascertain the facts and then
recommend tax concession.
As for segregation of
waste, the Corporation is ready to train rag picker groups,
professionalise them and then link them with residents to collect dry
waste, says Ms. Latha, adding that the Corporation is ready to work with
residents associations.