The Times of India             19.08.2013

Dump garbage in public, pay Rs 500 fine

MADURAI: Dump garbage in public places at your own risk seems to be the message the city corporation intends to send to the denizens. The civic body has warned people dumping garbage in public places with a severe penalty with immediate effect.

"When a person is found to dump garbage in places other than those meant for the purpose, the civic body will levy a fine of Rs 500. If the same person is caught in the act for the second time, a penalty of Rs 1,000 would be slapped," said corporation commissioner R Nanthagopal. Though the effectiveness of the plan in curbing garbage mounds along roadsides and Vaigai bank would depend on the extent of its enforcement, corporation officials hope that the penalty would definitely be a deterrent.

The city with a population of about 15 lakh, expanded last year, to accommodate several suburbs like Tiruparankunram and abutting villages. Altogether, it generates roughly 600 tonnes of solid waste, out of which non-biodegradable materials like plastic account for two percent. The garbage is collected and dumped in the 110 acre yard at Vellakkal.

But efforts to regulate dumping of garbage in public places are yet to deliver results. In several annexed areas, corporation workers do not clear garbage leaving it to residential associations to find a way themselves. Garbage was dumped haphazardly in residential as well as commercial areas. The bank of Vaigai is particularly littered with garbage. In fact, sanitary workers of the civic body itself were found to burn garbage that was dumped in Vaigai, rather than disposing them at the garbage yard at Vellakkal. Irrigation channels crisscrossing the city and sewage channels are also not spared.

"We hope that the menace would end once we start enforcing the penalty plan," said Nanthagopal. He said that bins have been placed in all residential areas and commercial streets. "Roadside shops, trade outlets as well as public should utilise these bins," he said.

In another effort at safe garbage disposal, the civic body has also added 16 dumper blazer trucks for garbage clearance taking the fleet strength of the vehicles to 50 purchased under the Integrated Urban Development Mission. In addition to the trucks, the corporation has 50 other vehicles for garbage collection.

It may be recalled that in July last year, the corporation, with an aim to clean up the city, had come up with an action plan called 'Masilla Madurai - 2012' (garbage-free Madurai), and announced that it would impose a spot fine of Rs 100 on people littering in public.

During that time, the civic body had also decided to carry out a mass cleaning drive every Saturday involving corporation workers, volunteers, NSS students and others. Madurai mayor V V Rajan Chellappa had announced that public organisations and educational institutions would be provided with dumber bins and the frequency of garbage clearing near the Meenakshi Amman temple would be increased from two times in a day to three. Measures were also announced to cover all the garbage-laden trucks with a net so that they don't litter garbage on the streets during transit.