On July 2, a drone camera captured unnerving visuals of the vast Kodungaiyur dump yard — women squelching through the mounds of trash to collect materials that could be recycled. For these women from the Perambur Assembly constituency, ragpicking has been the only ies in the area have lost their lives owing to health risks associated with ragpicking.
Chennai Corporation Councillor Dilli Babu says the women are being exposed to health risks because fresh waste continues to accumulate in the dump yard without segregation at source. This happens even as biomining of the waste yard has started for eco-restoration of the 352-acre area located in the heart of a thickly populated locality in north Chennai. “After the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026, kicked in on April 1, officials have suggested been a challenging task,” he said.
Speaking about the new Rules, Ward 35 Councillor S. Jeevan says there are other major issues that have worried residents. “The new Rules refer to waste-to-energy plants multiple times, along with duties and responsibilities of various departments. This shows the Union government has been exploring the possibility of setting up waste-to-energy plants. Residents who have opposed waste-to-energy plants in Chennai are worried as the risk of pollution is high,” he says.
Public consultation
Federation of North Chennai Residents’ Welfare Association president T.K. Shanmugham said the State government and civic agencies should ensure that public consultation is conducted in the presence of the residents of the Perambur and Dr. Radhakrishnan Nagar Assembly constituencies before implementation of any such waste management projects. “We will not accept waste-to-energy plants. They pollute our neighbourhoods. But we are ready to support tise residents to the new Rules and the need for complete biomining, and start eco-restoration,” he said.
As urban local bodies (ULBs) are unable to implement waste management projects owing to opposition from residents, the new Rules framed by the Union government have reportedly provided a ray of hope for such waste management projects, albeit with strict pollution control norms and digital tracking. However, residents remain sceptical about the efficacy of pollution monitoring systems. The Rules have strengthened digital tracking to reduce the impact of pollution caused by such waste management projects and promote 100% re successful rollout of the new Rules, training programmes will be held for Mayors and Deputy Mayors of various cities in Tamil Nadu this month. The Tamil Nadu Institute for Urban Studies, Coimbatore, is organising the programme.
Chennai Deputy Mayor M. Magesh Kumaar said the Corporation Council will discuss ways to reduce the burden of penalties and taxes on residents and traders under the new Rules. “Residents and traders should never be penalised. We are against the penalty and taxes proposed by the new Rules,” he said.
L. Gopan, a resident of Avadi, a suburb in western Chennai, says, “Dumping of waste has increased in waterbodies such as Paruthipattu lake on the outskirts of Chennai. The government should strive to achieve 100% e people are afraid that charges will increase for waste collection in large apartment complexes.”
‘Robust framework’
According to the new Rules, the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs will support the State in assessing waste management infrastructure in all urban areas and in drawing up policies and strategies for solid waste management, including waste-to-energy facilities, in consultation with stakeholders and taking into account solid waste management guidelines, by September 30, 2026. K.P. Subramanian, retired Professor of Urban Engineering at Anna University, says, “The new Rules provide a comprehensive and robust framework over their predecessors. The Rules must prioritise participation over regulation. Involvement of residents’ welfare associations, NGOs, and citizens groups is the key to success.”
Waste sprawl: Fresh waste accumulates in the Kodungaiyur dump yard without segregation at source, even as the biomining of the dump has started for eco-restoration of the 352-acre area.
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B. JOTHI RAMALINGAM
Kurian Joseph, Professor of Environmental Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology-Madras, who is training elected representatives in the implementation of the new Rules, said, “The most important challenge to waste management in Tamil Nadu is of segregated waste, processing of separated wet waste, recycling of separated dry waste, shortage of labour, and resistance of the public to having waste-processing — particularly micro-composting centres — near their locality.”
“Facilities for segregated collection are mandatory if we want to be a developed country with clean cities. It may cost around ₹10 crore for a city with 1 lakh population,” he added. The actual cost will depend on the available facilities and the gaps. According to Prof. Joseph, ULBs must undertake gap assessment and prepare an action plan for at least five years with estimates. They will have to raise funds by converging different schemes and opportunities, he said.
Labour shortage remains an issue in waste management, Prof. Joseph said. “As the economy improves, people move away from waste-related activities, especially waste collection and handling. Thus, the dignity of such jobs must be enhanced and ‘professionalised’ to attract skilled workers, and such people have to be trained and retained.” He added, “The implementation of the Rules will reduce the cost burden on ULBs, as Bulk waste generators are responsible for processing wet waste generated by them. The new Rules will reduce the waste processing load of ULBs by at least 25% in big cities. Recyclable sales will also help in cost recovery.”
100%
Stressing the need for 100% as it will help in getting clean recyclable materials. If waste is mixed at er, ULBs spend on additional labour for separation. Poor r quality of processed outputs. Composting and recycling quality will be poor, leading to dumping of waste.”
According to estimates, about 55% of the waste generated by ULBs is wet waste (biodegradable), 30% comprises different types of recyclables, and the rest will be inert, sanitary, and household hazardous waste. ULBs across Tamil Nadu generate about 16,000 tonnes of solid waste each day, of which about 40% is from the Chennai Corporation. Other corporations generate about 30%, municipalities about 18%, and town panchayats 12%. Experts say that while door-to-door waste collection is very good, with almost 90% households covered, among the top urbanised States.
The responsibilities of each stakeholder have been detailed in the new SWM Rules. Mandatory segregation at source; processing of wet waste; handling of dry, sanitary, and special care wastes; maintenance of reports and compliance harges; and environmental compensation are the key aspects of the Rules.
Environmental Compensation
The Environmental Compensation concept is new to the 2026 SWM Rules, which apply the “polluter pays” principle. Three batches of programmes to create awareness among ULB leaders have been completed in Kanniyakumari. More programmes are planned in the coming weeks. Chennai Corporation Commissioner G.S. Sameeran said the Rules require major behavioural modification campaigns and full cooperation from citizens. “The Rules are already in place from April. We are giving every stakeholder breathing space of six to seven months during this transition phase.”
Other cities are also gearing up for compliance with the new Rules. In Coimbatore, the 100 wards generate over 1,200 tonnes of municipal solid waste every day. Corporation officials say the city has achieved around 87%
Civic authorities in Erode say implementation will require stronger infrastructure, adequate manpower, and sustained public participation. Erode city, spread over 109.52 sq. km. with a population of 4.98 lakh across 60 wards, generates about 250 metric tonnes of municipal solid waste every day. Although the corporation has introduced door-to-door collection and veral parts of the city.
Salem Corporation health officials say 20 of the 60 wards have been selected as pilot zones for ts waste management infrastructure and technology-driven monitoring systems. In Nagercoil, people have been protesting for several years demanding that the government shift the dump yard in the city to another location on the National Highways.
As the issue is likely to dominate policy debates both in the State government and the local bodies in the coming months, residents are concerned about whether the local bodies are actually geared up for implementation of the new Rules. With the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam in power in the State and major ULBs ruled by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, the campaign should move beyond local administration and politics, into popular culture, for cleaner cities and towns.
Speaking on the issue, Gagandeep Singh Bedi, Secretary, Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department, said, “The workers should not be forced to separate the garbage themselves. The households should be encouraged to do so. This is the first aspect we are focusing on.”
While the successful implementation of the new Rules would help boost the waste management system in the State with focus on ‘segregation, reduction, and recycling’, building capacity of local bodies to do so will hold the key.
(With inputs from L. Srikrishna in Madurai, Sibi Sreevathson T.C. in Coimbatore, Sabari M. in Salem, Ancy Donal Madonna in Tiruchi, and S.P. Saravanan in Erode.)
