GCC Sets Sept. 1 Deadline for Bulk Waste Generators To Segregate at Source
The Corporation has also begun door-to-door awareness campaigns in the southern region on Saturday to encourage households to segregate waste. Similar campaigns will subsequently be carried out in the northern and central regions
Chennai: The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has set September 1 as the deadline for bulk waste generators to mandatorily segregate their waste at source, directing the officials to impose fines on those who fail to comply.
Commissioner G.S. Sameeran, who reviewed the civic body's solid waste management works at a meeting at the Ripon Buildings on Saturday, directed the officials to intensify enforcement as well as awareness campaigns on waste segregation.
According to the Corporation, bulk waste generators will have to segregate biodegradable, non-biodegradable, sanitary and hazardous waste at the point of generation and hand them over separately. Officials have been appointed to monitor compliance while awareness programmes are being conducted among residents and establishments.
The Commissioner directed officials to ensure that waste bins are kept within the premises of waste generators and that segregated waste is handed over accordingly.
The Corporation has also begun door-to-door awareness campaigns in the southern region on Saturday to encourage households to segregate waste. Similar campaigns will subsequently be carried out in the northern and central regions.
At the meeting, the Commissioner reviewed the ongoing biomining operations at the city's major dumpyards. The Corporation said the first phase of biomining at the Perungudi dumpyard had been completed, resulting in the reclamation of 94 acres of land. Under the second phase, biomining of 5.5 lakh metric tonnes of legacy waste is under way, of which 28,000 metric tonnes has so far been removed.
At the Kodungaiyur dumpyard, biomining is being undertaken to remove 66 lakh metric tonnes of legacy waste. Of this, 44 lakh metric tonnes have already been removed, resulting in the reclamation of 16 acres of land. At Athipattu, the first phase of biomining had resulted in the removal of one lakh cubic metres of waste. In the second phase, biomining of 72,000 metric tonnes of waste is being carried out, with 36,000 metric tonnes removed so far.
Deputy Commissioner Chitra Vijayan and other officials participated in the review meeting.
