TIRUCHY: The Airports Authority of India recently spent roughly Rs 1,200 crore for the construction of the new terminal of Tiruchy International Airport. But even while spending such a huge amount, it was passing the buck of its garbage burden to the Tiruchy airport without paying a single penny.
The RTI filed by The New Indian Express also confirmed that the airport was violating the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, (SWM 2016) of the Government of India, over these years and had not paid any money for disposal of its waste. Highly placed sources said the Tiruchy Corporation over the years lost (from 2017 onwards) about Rs 7 crore due to this mismanagement.
According to SWM 2016, an entity generating over 100 kg of waste per day must establish its own recycling facility. Responding to the RTI filed by TNIE, Airport Director and Public Information Officer G Gopalakrishnan said, "Tiruchy airport roughly generates about 750 kg of waste per day. As a stopgap arrangement, the waste is presently being cleared by the Tiruchy Corporation." The director added that the airport would soon start the operation of a solid waste plant that can handle 1 tonne of waste per day.
To the RTI query, "If the Tiruchy Airport is giving waste to Tiruchy City Corporation, how much money is it paying per month or year," the airport director simply said 'NIL.' Although TNIE asked in its RTI whether the airport got any exception under SWM 2016 for passing the waste to Tiruchy Corporation, the airport director was unable to point out any such exceptions.
Highly placed sources in the corporation said that the Tiruchy Corporation, from 2017 onwards, insisted the airport establish a solid waste management system, and the airport keeps on pushing this matter, citing various excuses. "It is a major transport location and an iconic spot in the city. Thus, the corporation avoided taking action on the airport," a source said. This broad-mindedness of the local body compelled it to take the waste burden of the airport at a heavy loss.
All these are happening when the city civic body ensures that even a small tea stall pays the tax for solid waste management or Street Waste Management User (SUC) charges. Ironically, the Tiruchy airport is one of the most profitable airports in the country, recording a profit of about Rs 50 crore in the 2023-24 financial year. But instead of levying tax on such profit-making entities, the local body condoned its solid waste management violations.
When TNIE raised this issue with Tiruchy Corporation Commissioner V Saravanan, he said, "I have considered this issue and decided to impose over Rs 1 crore per annum for collecting waste from Tiruchy airport."