2023-initiative revived: Get old furniture, mattresses cleared from your house every Saturday

CHENNAI: The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has launched a dedicated service for the collection of bulky household waste, allowing residents to dispose of old furniture, mattresses, cots and other large items every Saturday.

Earlier, such waste was often left discarded on roadsides or near compactor bins, creating an eyesore and obstructing conservancy operations.

Corporation officials said that the Solid Waste Management department collects around 2,000 tonnes of bulky waste every month, but the random dumping of these items made it difficult to process them effectively. “Now, the service will operate on a first-come, first-served basis. Based on registrations, officials will map routes, collect the waste and send it to designated dumpyards,” an official said.

The move will help streamline weekend collection and make disposal more efficient. The wastes will be taken to incinerator plants and incinerated around 900-degree Celsius. The ash will be converted into paver blocks.

The announcement, however, is not entirely new. It revives a plan introduced in 2023, when the GCC had proposed a weekly furniture removal drive to curb illegal dumping and reduce the burden on streets and landfills. According to officials, it could not be fully implemented across all zones due to operational and coordination challenges.

Now, the Corporation aims to make bulky-waste removal predictable and accessible, discourage unregulated dumping, and improve overall cleanliness across the 15 zones. “The Saturday-only schedule,” officials said, “will allow the civic body to optimise manpower, vehicle deployment and landfill operations, thereby ensuring smoother operation.”

To avail the service, residents can call 1913 or send a WhatsApp message to 9445061913, after which a collection vehicle will be dispatched to their residence