TIRUCHY: As some residents
continue to flout the corporation’s directions on garbage segregation,
plastic ban and dengue prevention measures, the civic body is planning
to resume awareness initiatives. This time, the corporation is proposing
to ask students to ensure their parents observed plastic ban, garbage segregation and dengue prevention measures at home.

Officials said schools also have to
highlight the importance of garbage segregation, plastic ban and dengue
prevention in classroom blackboards to educate students. This apart,
students have to get an acknowledgement (signature) from their parents
every week confirming they were following the directions of the
civic body.

“We are planning to request students to
ensure their parents are following our directions. They have to ensure
that they are not using banned plastic products in their home and give
segregated waste to corporation workers. Similarly, students have to
take dengue prevention measures at home,” an official said.

Through this initiative, the corporation
would be reaching out to about three lakh students. Corporation
Commissioner S Sivasubramaian said the civic body would cross-check the
claims of parents. “Students can submit the acknowledgements to their
schools. Our officials would ensure they are handing over segregated
garbage and their premises are not mosquito breeding grounds. If we
find they are following our directions, we would upload their details on
the corporation website,” he said.

Officials said this plan is in the
pipeline and would be launched soon. “We recently talked about an
awareness programme conducted in a school and found students welcomed
the idea. Currently, we are planning to upload the details of schools
with the highest number of students participating in this initiative. We
are also considering uploading the details of the students. A final
decision on this initiative would be announced soon,” a source said. 

Sanitation workers have welcomed the
idea. “Unsegregated waste is a major problem. Though officials had tried
to impose fines on those handing over unsegregated waste, it failed to
change the attitudes of residents,” a sanitation worker said.