Chennai Corporation's 40-day drive targets waste segregation in 50,000 South Chennai homes

The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has launched a source segregation drive in South Chennai, with the first phase targeting 50,000 households across five zones. The drive, which began on Saturday, is part of a broader effort to improve scientific solid waste management in the city’s 15 zones.

According to an official release, the Tamil Nadu government has directed that waste be segregated at the source into biodegradable, non-biodegradable, sanitary, and hazardous categories. This, the release said, would facilitate efficient collection and disposal. In line with this directive, GCC has been carrying out cleanliness drives and public awareness campaigns across all zones.

Chennai generates a significant amount of solid waste daily, and proper segregation is essential to ensure that biodegradable waste is composted and non-biodegradable waste is recycled. The GCC has been working with Urbaser Sumeet, its waste management partner, to modernise collection and processing systems. The new drive is a key component of this strategy, focusing on citizen participation at the household level.

As a continuation of these efforts, the corporation launched a 40-day door-to-door awareness programme titled “Segregate Waste – Save Tomorrow” in the southern region. The programme aims to instil the habit of segregation among residents. During the campaign, GCC staff and workers from Urbaser Sumeet are visiting households to explain the segregation process. Householders are being provided with dedicated bags for collecting non-biodegradable waste separately. Informational flyers are being distributed, and awareness posters are being put up on walls in residential areas.

The programme was launched simultaneously in five zones. In Valasaravakkam Zone, events were held at Krishnamachari Nagar 4th Street and Ashtalakshmi Nagar 5th Street. In Alandur Zone, an awareness drive was conducted at Himachal Nagar Link Area. In Adyar Zone, a sensitisation programme was organised at the Integrated Child Care Centre on Muthulakshmi Salai, Thiruvanmiyur. In Perungudi Zone, residents and workers took part in a programme at the GCC Zone Office. In Sholinganallur Zone, residents gathered at the Labour Housing Park for the awareness drive.

Under the first phase of the scheme, 10,000 households will be covered in each of the five zones, totalling 50,000. In the initial stage, 1,000 households per zone — or 5,000 households overall — received segregation bags and awareness kits. The remaining 45,000 households will be covered in a phased manner over the course of the campaign.

Each selected household is given a dedicated bag for non-biodegradable waste. The bag serves as a visual reminder to make segregation simple and sustainable, the release said. Over the 40 days, teams from GCC and Urbaser Sumeet will conduct regular door-to-door follow-ups to reinforce the practice and monitor public participation.

At the end of the 40-day period, the corporation will evaluate household participation, waste collection efficiency, and improvement in segregation. Based on the learnings from this initial phase, the programme will be scaled up from 5,000 to 50,000 households, the release added.

Officials said the success of the drive depends on active citizen cooperation. Segregating waste at the source is a key step towards reducing the burden on landfills and enabling recycling. The GCC has urged residents to use the supplied bags and hand over segregated waste to the designated collection system. The initiative is expected to be extended to other parts of the city in the coming months, as the corporation seeks to institutionalise segregation practices across all 15 zones.