GCC to close 70% of micro compositing centres
More challenges in solid waste management with cleanliness workers already stretched thin, and vacancies unfilled
Workers clearing stagnated water from roads and garbage bins with no gloves
CHENNAI: With the Greater Chennai Corporation preparing to phase out its network of micro composting centres (MCCs), questions are mounting over who will bear the brunt of the city’s waste processing challenges.
Chennai now produces over 6,150 tonnes of waste every day compared to around 5,000 tons in 2018. While the numbers might not be drastic, processing recyclables are driven, in part, by the rise in food delivery services and disposable packaging coupled with workers’ storage.
“Wastes are not collected regularly. The bins are constantly overflowing in Ayanavaram,” said Kalaivani, a resident of Elumalai Street.
Similar complaints have emerged from Anna Nagar and Royapettah, where residents claim waste lingers for more than a day before being cleared. Part of the problem, unions and workers say, lies in a stretched sanitation workforce. According to the Corporation, over 1,000 positions remain vacant out of the 9,563 conservancy worker posts in the zones that are managed directly by GCC.
The overall solid waste management workforce across the city, including those employed by private firms in outsourced zones, stands at around 18,845. However, staffing levels on the ground vary widely. “A division that should have five workers is being handled by two or three,” said Thiruvettai, general secretary of the CITU.
A corporation official has said that worker rosters are being adjusted on a rotational basis to manage the shortage and avoid burnout. “Waking up at 4 am is not enough now. If the garbage is piled up outside our working zone, we’re rerouted there. How much can we stretch for a job that is not permanent?” rues a cleanliness worker.
“Every house puts out one large plastic bag. It will have leftovers, bones, bottles, and plastics, all together. Now with food delivery, we’re seeing a lot more waste and it’s hard to separate it,” says a worker in Zone 8.
Environmentalists say decentralised waste handling systems like MCCs were set up to address exactly this problem. Reducing the travel time of wet waste and encouraging local composting. Their gradual closure, they argue, may lead to further strain.
“Bulk wastes that are collected in restaurants or events could reach the MCCs, but household wastes are not segregated. The closure of MCCs could further worsen the city’s waste management problem,” avers Geo Damin of Poovulagin Nanbargal.
At present, GCC operates 239 MCCs, with a combined wet waste processing capacity of over 1,100 tonnes per day. Many were set up as a key tool to reduce dependence on landfills at Perungudi and Kodungaiyur. However, due to growing public complaints over odour, flies, and proximity to residences or burial grounds, the city is planning to close the most.
“We serve the public. When there are complaints, especially near sensitive areas, we’re bound to take action,” explains a senior official from the Solid Waste Management department. The Corporation plans to process more waste at centralised locations using windrow composting methods. It has allocated Rs 13.6 crore for new facilities at Perungudi, each with a 50 tonne daily capacity.
While officials argue that centralisation will bring efficiency and scale, others point out that unless waste is segregated at the source, any system centralised or localised can only do so much.
