Chennai: Areas under the Greater Chennai Corporation limits now look more neat and clean than in the past thanks to the systematic approach of 15,000 conservancy workers, employed by Urbaser Sumeet, the agency that is responsible for garbage clearance in the metropolis.
These employees work in three shifts to keep the city clean. It is said that even the segregation system has improved enabling to separate the biodegradable waste from the non-degradable.
Speaking to <I>News Today<P>, Sathish, an assistant supervisor, said that the employees work in three shifts and the first shift begins at 6 am. He said that the number of employees in a particular division is based on the size of the area.
‘Workers assemble at 5.30 am and start their work at 6. Besides sweeping the roads, they also pick the garbage including plastics. Reusable items are separated and are sent to recycling centres. In the first shift door to door collection is done. During the second shift garbage from commercial outlets are collected. In the third shift the workers sweep the road, collect the garbage from the bins in common points and left over works are carried out,’ he said.
The garbage is collected in battery cars which have four different bins for different waste. These vehicles are operated by both men and women workers. There are atleast three women drivers in each division.
‘Waste that are segregated already are put in different bins. Mixed garbage are put in one bin and are later separated. The waste which is collected in different shifts is unloaded in closed bins kept at various collection points during night. This garbage is then removed and transported in trucks to dumpyards outside the city,’ he added.
Sathish further said that to ensure garbage trucks do not enter the city during the daytime, garbage removal from common points is done during the night.
A Corporation official said, ‘there is a visibile improvement in garbage collection method. We are constantly monitoring and will further improve based on inputs from people and field staff.’
