Agencies to help bulk waste generators set up composting units

As per the invitation for expression of interest (EOI) issued by the Chennai Corporation, the agencies who have eligibility, would be empanelled with the civic body. “The list of such empanelled agencies would be published on the Corporation website so that the bulk waste generators in the city can avail the services directly,” an official said.

Solid Waste Management Rules 2016 entails all bulk waste generators such as multi-storeyed apartments, big commercial establishments and gated communities to segregate their waste and hand over recyclable materials to recyclers apart from composting biodegradable waste within their premises.

According to the official, there are as many as 3,125 bulk waste generators in Chennai. “However, only around 200 such generators are composting in their premises. We have also been intensifying the awareness drive on source segregation across the city,” the official added.

Explaining the responsibility of the agencies, who would be either social entrepreneurs or NGOs, the official said that the agencies should visit the premises of the generators to provide technical assistance to set up composting facilities.

The civic body collects around 5,200 tonnes of garbage every day, of which 50 per cent waste is biodegradable. “The move will help us reduce the amount of garbage going to landfills,” the official said.

It is also learnt that the civic body would allow the agencies to collect user fee from bulk generators. The Greater Chennai Corporation had recently passed a resolution to collect user fees from building owners in the city to collect garbage.

“The State government had given its permission to collect user fee. This system will come into effect in a few weeks after which, instead of collecting the user fee ourselves from the bulk waste generators, we will allow the agencies to collect the user fee,” he said.