CHENNAI: The Chennai Corporation is becoming a role model in Solid Waste Management and health services to other States in the country. On June 18, a group of officials from Punjab’s Ludhiana Municipal Corporation headed by its Mayor Balkar Singh Sandhu visited Chennai to learn about the city’s waste management practices.
After they inspected various waste treatment facilities, segregation facilities, and composting practices of the Chennai Corporation, they were left awestruck and assured to implement similar practices efficiently in their home State.
During the minutes of their meeting at Ripon Building, accessed by Express, Corporation Commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi explained various measures being undertaken, beginning with garbage collection. “Four out of 15 zones are handled by the civic body staff and the rest are handled by Ramki Enviros and Urbaser Sumeet,” the Commissioner said, explaining that the combination of the civic body and private players handling waste collection side-by-side has been a good combination for the city.
He pointed out that in the micro-composting centers and resource recovery centers, waste is segregated and non-biodegradable waste is processed and sent to cement factories for a price. “We also process bio-waste in our bio-CNG units to generate energy from it as we want to take care of our entire garbage,” he added, pointing out that wet waste is turned into compost and sold to people and even the horticulture department.
“Garden and tender coconut waste too is processed and sold to private players,” he pointed out. The Commissioner also explained about the health services of the Corporation, highlighting that crucial treatments like dialysis and deliveries are being done in Corporation hospitals. Officials explained about Amma Canteens too. “It is really nice to have a look at the works of the Chennai Corporation. I thank you for the opportunity. Wonderful job,” an official from Punjab said during the meeting.
Officials sources, who were part of the meeting, said Ludhiana Corporation officials were impressed by the Public-Private Partnership method on Solid Waste Management adopted by the city Corporation. “They want to implement things such as battery-operated vehicles collecting garbage,” an official said.
11-member team
Overall, 11 officials from Punjab visited Chennai, including Ludhiana Municipal Corporation Commissioner Pradeep Kumar Sabharwal and Chief Sanitary Inspector Ashwani Sahota