MADURAI: In a bid to streamline solid waste management, the city corporation has shut garbage transit centres and reduced the number of public waste bins, while intensifying door-to-door garbage collection across Madurai.
Corporation officials said the initiative is intended to curb open dumping, eliminate intermediate waste handling points, encourage residents to segregate waste and hand it over directly to sanitation workers.
Door-to-door collection has been expanded with additional routes and fixed timings, and residents have been asked to strictly follow the prescribed schedules. However, the shift has not been seamless in several localities.
Residents allege that public dustbins that previously acted as key disposal points at busy junctions, markets and densely populated residential areas have been removed without providing adequate alternatives.
“All available bins in our area have been taken away. Now we can dispose of waste only when the door-to-door collection vehicle arrives. We are struggling to manage waste on a daily basis,” said T Annadurai, a resident of Avaniyapuram.
Another resident, K Kalirajan said, “When collection vehicles do not arrive on time, people are forced to store waste at home or dump it elsewhere. In many cases, cattle waste is thrown into drains, leading to blockages and overflow.” Residents urged the corporation either to increase the frequency of door-to-door collection or reinstate bins at critical locations.
Meanwhile, official sources said that almost all garbage transit centres in the city have been closed, with only the Vellakkal processing facilities remaining operational. They added that most bins in Zones 1 to 4 have been converted into compactor bins, while a few large dumper bins continue to be used in Zone 5.