TIRUCHY: A pilot study is under way in ward 28, covering areas like Anna Nagar, Kavalkaran Street, Tiruchy Vellalar Street and nearby areas, to assess better strategies to ensure the collection of segregated waste from residents. This study, under the Circular Waste Project, is implemented in Tiruchy by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ, a global initiative working for reducing greenhouse gas emission) in partnership with the corporation.
As part of the study, the team fixed a schedule for collection of degradable waste and non-degradable waste by corporation workers from about 4,000 houses. Sources said the study started on August 1 is fetching valuable feedback for the corporation.
"As part of the study, non-degradable waste was collected from Ward 28 only on Wednesdays and Saturday. On other days, sanitation workers would collect degradable waste and domestic hazardous waste like used face masks, napkins etc. Though it took some time for residents to get used to this system, about 80% of houses from Ward 28 are now giving waste on specific days without mixing it," a source said.
According to officials, similar study is under way in cities like Bengaluru, Delhi, Goa and Varanasi. This pilot study project has the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs as nodal ministries.
"In Tiruchy, team members of NGO Saahas are collecting response of this pilot project and will present their field evaluation report to the corporation. The corporation team will go through the response and consider whether the scheduled collection of waste can be implemented in other wards or whether there is a need for similar pilot study in more wards," a senior official said.
With 80% houses from Ward 28 now giving waste in a segregated manner, sources said the corporation is likely to extend the study to more areas and residents can expect more changes in the waste collection system. "We cannot say which is the ideal strategy for ensuring collection of segregated waste from all houses and commercial establishments.
So, we may have to try the similar system of scheduled waste collection in more wards and also try various strategies. If the scheduled waste collection is getting good response in more areas, we are likely to implement it across the city," an officer said.