The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Salem News : Waste collection to be outsourced

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 30, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Salem

Waste collection to be outsourced

By S. Ramesh

SALEM, MARCH 29. The Salem Corporation is planning to outsource the services of self-help groups (SHGs) to collect wastes at doorsteps in its five wards on a trial basis.

The Corporation has resorted to this decision, as there is a heavy shortage of conservancy workers in its health department. About 600 posts remain vacant.

The Corporation is getting ready to implement the Solid Waste Management Rules-2000 in Salem in a full-fledged manner according to the directions of the Supreme Court. Earlier too the Corporation has worked out plans to implement the rules but in vain.

The plans have been abandoned at some stage due to political and various other reasons.

As a result, mounds of garbage lie on the streets for days together. Daily clearance is a rare happening on most of the city streets, residents say.

Also, the Corporation is yet to find a mechanism to dispose the wastes safely. A compost yard to convert the degradable waste into manure is not available.

It continues to dump wastes from all the 60 wards in the dump yards at Erumapalayam, Sooramangalam and Veeranam.

Nearly 350 tonnes of wastes are dumped in these three yards in a day. And now, the yards have little space for fresh arrivals.

Burning of wastes

People living in the neighbouring colonies to the yard complain that rag pickers set fire to the garbage thus thick clouds of smoke fills the air. "Sometimes the Corporation workers themselves burn wastes so as to accommodate new loads of wastes. It is very difficult to live near by.

Many in the neighbouring colonies have developed breathing problems," says Kannan, who runs a workshop near the Erumapalayam dump yard.

The Corporation Commissioner, T. T. Balasamy, says the Corporation could not implement the rules because of certain reasons.

"But now, we are going to involve SHGs. If the trial succeeds, we will extend it to other wards also. For waste disposals, we are working out a proposal. A private agency has approached us for producing electricity from garbage and we are considering the proposal."

The Corporation will take action against those setting fire to wastes in the yard, he said.

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