As part of the solid waste management scheme being implemented by the civic administration in this holiday destination, distribution of containers to felicitate source segregation commenced on Tuesday.

It was inaugurated at the Agraharam here by Udhagamandalam Municipal chairperson K. Sathyabhama.

Municipal Commissioner K. Sivakumar said that the Integrated Urban Development Mission-funded scheme was being implemented in a phased manner since 2011-12.

As segregation at source was a vital component of the scheme, it had been proposed to provide all the 22,000 assessed houses in the municipality with containers to dump separately biodegradable and non- biodegradable waste materials.

Expressing the hope that people would extend their cooperation to the civic authorities, he said that the garbage would be removed to the dump yard at Theetukkal on the outskirts of the town. The biodegradable materials would be used for producing manure. Initially, the containers would be distributed in areas such as Agraharam, Green Fields and Commercial road which are located close to the main Kodappamund channel that runs through the town. It would strengthen the Ooty lake conservation efforts. All the 36 wards would be covered within a month, he said.