Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore   

Resistance to garbage collection fee

K.V. Prasad

Vadavalli Special Panchayat seeks public support, awaits TNPCB nod for composting

COIMBATORE: Vadavalli Special Panchayat - nine km West of the city - fears that resistance from the public to a fee of Rs. 10 a month for door-to-door collection of garbage may derail its waste management scheme.

Flash strike

A flash strike by women from self-help groups (SHGs) disrupted waste removal last week and the panchayat had to fall back on its conservancy workers and lorries to cart away garbage.

Out of the 70 women employed for a monthly salary of Rs. 700 for collecting waste from nearly 8,000 houses and commercial establishments, 10 left for employment at a new hotelnear the bus stand as their salaries were not paid.

The women were from the SHGs formed by Non-conventional Energy and Rural Development (NERD) Society, a non-Governmental organisation. Its sources confirmed that ten women had left for jobs in the hotel but it would not affect waste collection.

The panchayat president M. Shanmugasundaram says salaries were paid on Monday and the rest of the women have returned to waste collection.

The local body awaits clearance from Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) for the site it has identified on Thondamuthur Road for converting waste into manure.

At present waste is dumped at a common spot. The only improvement brought about by the scheme is that garbage does not accumulate along the main Marudamalai Road or bylanes.

This claim by the panchayat comes amid charges from some sections of residents that dumping in nearby open spaces continues, causing inconvenience to them.

While the panchayat says it will work for TNPCB clearance, it appeals to the public for total cooperation in paying the fee. Mr. Shanmugasundaram says that 60 per cent of the residents pay promptly. But the resistance is from people who are aware of the need for waste management.

Cooperation sought

"They argue that garbage removal is the responsibility of the local body and therefore they need not pay. As funds had been inadequate, I made alternative arrangements for paying salaries. There is objection to paying out panchayat funds and the Government insists that the scheme has to run on public contribution. The carts and bins have been procured with sponsorship. The panchayat is confident of earning at least Rs. 15,000 a month from the manure made out of waste. That will meet our financial requirements."

Allaying fear

The panchayat is also alive to the public resistance to composting planned at the site. Vadavalli also seems to be affected by the `NIMBY' (not in my backyard) syndrome that civic bodies across the country experience.

"People welcome the waste-to-manure scheme but do not want garbage dumped and processed in their area."

The panchayat has sought the help of environmental experts in Tamil Nadu Agricultural University to allay fears among the public of pollution. The panchayat plans to apprise the District Collector of the problems faced in funding the scheme and beginning composting.

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