Removal of dustbins to encourage door-to-door collection has not proved successful
Piles of domestic garbage dumped at empty plots or road corners is a common sight in various residential areas of the city over the last few months.
While residents complain of official apathy, the civic body says some sanitary workers and the public are to blame for the situation. The Tiruchi Corporation, in 2019, removed almost all the 1,172 dustbins across the city in an attempt to encourage door-to-door collection and decentralisation of waste, which were collected at micro composting yards. The plan, according to some officials of the corporation, has backfired as dumping in the open has become rampant. “Matters became worse during the lockdown. Only penalisation will help now,” a senior official said.
The civic body has roped in self-help groups (SHG) to man the 200 mini trucks utilised for the door-to-door collection. “These SHGs are on a contract-basis and some of them collect garbage…