Solid waste left to rot in city budget

Budget estimates for 2018-19 for the three areas have witnessed a marginal increase from the revised estimate of the year before (mainly for capital investment). The civic body has allotted Rs 16 crore for solid waste management as compared to Rs 10.55 crore, Rs 6.15 crore for health up from 2.69 crore and Rs 12.6 crore on education as opposed to Rs 8.71 crore. 

The Corporation collects around 5,000 metric tonnes of solid waste per day, a large percentage of which ends up in the dumpyards at Perungudi and Kodungaiyur. The budget is mainly allocated for capital expenditure towards compost bins, building infrastructure, Swachh Bharat mission-related purchases and work towards Chennai River Restoration Trust’s work. Key areas such as garbage collection and disposal have not been mentioned under this header, but as a series of different charges incurred by the civic body. A calculation by Citizen consumer and civic Action Group (CAG) revealed that the Corporation spends close to Rs 600 crore on waste collection and disposal, in a model that has been widely criticized by experts.

Speaking to DT Next, social activist Jayaram Venkatesan said that Corporation’s conception of solid waste management revolves solely around waste displacement rather than management, which he says is evident through the budgetary allocation. 

“Funds must be allocated for advertising campaigns to get the public to source segregate – the first step towards effective waste management. Instead of doing that, the Corporation simply states that people are not cooperating. Have they ever taken a step to remove the bins on the street?”

Stating that the civic body is following the model of incentivising the contractor, instead of allocating budget to set up infrastructure for proper waste management infrastructure, Venkatesan added, “They are not ready to do allocate budget to process-related ventures such as solid waste management or health, where the lapses are clearly visible. Instead, they divert the funds to roads or storm water drains, where it is easy to swindle the public.” 

Waste policy expert Dharmesh Shah said that without a state-level waste management plan in place, funds allotted for this purpose would not solve much purpose. “It is highly likely the authorities will build some infrastructure and purchase bins which will be placed across the city,” he said.