MADURAI: At a time when the Madurai Corporation is preparing to introduce spot fines for improper waste disposal, residents have urged the civic body to first strengthen door-to-door garbage collection and ensure adequate bin facilities before imposing such penalties.
Nearly one-third of garbage bins across corporation limits are in poor condition which is forcing the residents to dump garbage in the open.
During the recent corporation council meeting, councillors flagged persistent lapses in waste collection. Ward 64 councillor Solai M Raja alleged that shortcomings on the part of the private agency handling solid waste management had resulted in heaps of garbage accumulating along roadsides and in open spaces.
“Hardly once or twice a week do we see a garbage collection vehicle in the interior areas. On other days, it remains near the bus stand until 7 or 8 pm,” said K Saravanan, a resident of Avaniyapuram. He said three waste collection points had been removed, leaving residents with no option but to dump waste in open spaces, creating sanitation concerns.
Civic activist T Nagarajan said, “The corporation must first ensure regular collection and proper source segregation before enforcing strict penalties.” Several councillors also urged the corporation to install additional bins at vulnerable locations to prevent indiscriminate dumping. A senior official said the civic body had more than 1,500 dumper and compactor bins earlier. More than 500 dumper bins were subsequently decommissioned after the corporation shifted towards compactor bins to address transportation-related issues.
At present, around 980 bins are in use, including nearly 80 dumper bins deployed only in Zones 4 and 5, which are closer to the Vellakkal dumpyard. Of the compactor bins, more than 300 are in poor condition but continue to be used.
Officials attributed the condition of the bins to inadequate maintenance by the private agency.