Starting March, residents of Chennai can expect cleaner beaches, riverbanks, and street corners as the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) rolls out a comprehensive door-to-door bulk waste collection service. This initiative aims to tackle the rampant problem of indiscriminate dumping by large waste generators across the city.
Private Partners and Zone-Wise Rollout
The massive operation will be handled by private contractors in most zones. Chennai Enviros has been tasked with managing north Chennai's five zones: Thiruvottiyur, Manali, Madhavaram, Royapuram, and Thiru Vi Ka Nagar. Meanwhile, Urbaser Sumeet will cover key south Chennai zones including Teynampet, Kodambakkam, Valasaravakkam, Alandur, Adyar, Perungudi, and Sholinganallur.
To ensure efficiency, Urbaser Sumeet will procure 20 new compactor vehicles and bulk waste collection vehicles (BOVs), along with deploying additional manpower in the southern parts of the city. The next two months will be dedicated to surveying bulk waste generators (BWGs) and assessing the precise quantity of waste generated zone by zone.
Tackling a Massive Waste Stream
The scale of the challenge is significant. Chennai generates over 1,000 tonnes of bulk waste daily, which constitutes a staggering one-sixth of the city's total waste output. GCC chief engineer for solid waste management, C A Balamurali, stated that the bulk waste collection component is also being integrated into tenders for Anna Nagar and Tondiarpet zones. Furthermore, a component to clean slum board tenements is being added to the private contractor's responsibilities.
This move comes after previous failures with private empanelled vendors who did not perform adequately. The system was also flouted by many large restaurants and malls that avoided hiring proper vendors, instead opting to dump waste directly into GCC bins.
Booking and Monitoring the New System
For citizens' convenience, bulk waste collection can be booked through multiple channels: the Namma Chennai app, by calling the civic helpline 1913, or by sending a WhatsApp message to 9445061913. The collected waste will be transported directly from designated sites to processing or disposal centres, with monitoring in place to ensure timely and scientific handling.
A representative from Urbaser Sumeet, GCC's concessionaire for zones 9 to 15, mentioned that teams will study bulk waste generation patterns and hold discussions with the authority on implementable regulations.
Resident Concerns and the Path Ahead
Despite the promising plan, some residents have raised valid concerns about the end-to-end process. R Ramesh, a resident of Santhome, pointed out, "Mere transportation will not help. The waste will anyway end up in landfills. GCC must re-establish segregation centres or ensure that private contractors at least segregate the waste." This highlights the critical need for the new system to focus not just on collection but on scientific processing to achieve a sustainable solution for Chennai's bulk waste management.
