After poll verdict, Corpn may turn garbage collection into paid service

Chennaiites will soon have to pay a fee to get garbage removed from their homes as the Greater Chennai Corporation has decided to collect monthly user charges from buildings across the city.

As per the recent proposal, the civic body will collect a fee between Rs 10 and Rs 7,500 per month based on the size of the building and the waste its residents generate. The state government is likely to approve this proposal of incorporating the by-laws for collecting user fee in its draft Solid Waste Management Rules – 2016 after the election code of conduct is lifted.

“The Centre’s Solid Waste Management rules mandates the local bodies to collect user fees from the building owners and draft rules in Chennai City Municipal Corporation Act, 1919. (CCMC Act). Based on that directive, we have fixed the rates tentatively,” an official from Chennai Corporation said.

The official added that the proposal has been sent to the state government as its nod is needed to incorporate any by-law in CCMC Act. “After the state government’s nod, we will incorporate the rules after passing a council resolution. All local bodies will also implement the central government’s direction,” he said.

Apart from residential buildings, commercial establishments and schools, places of worship would also be charged Rs 500 per month. For events held in open public spaces, except funeral and government awareness activities, the civic body is likely to collect from Rs 5,000 to Rs 20,000 per event based on the number of participants. The proposal has come in tandem with the Chennai Corporation taking up more than Rs 5,000-crore projects to privatise conservancy works in the city, reclaiming Kodungaiyur and Perungudi landfills and setting up of waste-to-energy plants at landfills. “Collecting user fee will help the Chennai Corporation to earn about Rs70 crore per year. The government is expected to approve the proposal soon after election results are out,” the official said.

Sources said that civic body had earlier proposed to collect a fee between Rs 10 to Rs 50 per month from residential buildings and between Rs 25 and Rs 500 per month from non-residential and mixed residential buildings based on their property tax. “But, the proposal was reworked and the umbrella of user charges has been increased,” said the official.

Meanwhile, the civic body has also sent a fresh proposal to levy a penalty for littering in public and private places, non-segregation of waste, burning of solid waste and littering in water bodies. The penalties range from Rs 100 to Rs 5,000. “Once the government approves the proposal, the solid waste management rules will come into effect within 30 days of it,” said the official.