On July 2, a drone camera captured harrowing scenes of the huge Kodungaiyur dump yard – women scrambling amid piles of garbage to collect materials that could be recycled. Garbage picking has been the only source of livelihood for these women of Perambur assembly constituency. They claim that many members of approximately 3,000 families in the area have lost their lives due to the health risks associated with waste picking.
Chennai Corporation councilor Dilli Babu says women are facing health risks as fresh waste keeps accumulating in the dump yard without segregation at source. This comes as biomining of the waste yard has begun for eco-restoration of the 352-acre area located in the heart of a densely populated area in North Chennai. “After the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026 came into force on April 1, officials have suggested source separation as a solution. But 100% source separation has been a challenging task,” he said.
Speaking about the new rules, Ward 35 councilor S. Jeevan says there are other major issues that residents are concerned about. “The new rules mention waste-to-energy plants several times along with the duties and responsibilities of various departments. This shows that the central government is exploring the possibility of setting up waste-to-energy plants. Residents who have opposed waste-to-energy plants in Chennai are worried because the risk of pollution is high.”
public consultation
TK Shanmugham, president of Federation of North Chennai Residents Welfare Association, said the state government and civic agencies should ensure that public consultation is conducted in the presence of residents of Perambur and Dr. Radhakrishnan Nagar assembly constituencies before the implementation of any such waste management project. He said, “We will not accept waste-to-energy plants. They pollute our neighbourhoods. But we are ready to support source separation. We intend to mobilize 2,000 volunteers to make residents aware of the new rules and the need for source separation. We want the government to close dump yards, end biomining and start eco-restoration.”
As urban local bodies (ULBs) are unable to implement waste management projects due to opposition from residents, new rules made by the central government have provided a ray of hope for such waste management projects, despite strict pollution control norms and digital tracking. However, residents remain skeptical about the effectiveness 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% source separation. To sensitize all stakeholders and ensure successful implementation of the new rules, training programs will be organized for mayors and deputy mayors of various cities in Tamil Nadu this month. The event is being organized by Tamil Nadu Institute for Urban Studies, Coimbatore.
Chennai Deputy Mayor M. Magesh Kumar said the corporation council will discuss ways to reduce the burden of fines and taxes on residents and traders under the new rules. “Residents and traders should never be punished. We are against the penalties and taxes proposed by the new rules,” he said.
L., a resident of Avadi, a suburb in western Chennai. Gopan says, “Dumping of waste into water bodies like Paruthipattu lake on the outskirts of Chennai has increased. The government should strive to achieve 100% source separation. We are ready to support the government, but some people fear that the charges for waste collection in big apartment complexes will increase.”
‘Strong structure’
According to the new rules, the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs will support the state in assessing the waste management infrastructure in all urban areas by September 30, 2026 and formulating policies and strategies for solid waste management, including waste-to-energy facilities, in consultation with stakeholders and keeping in mind the solid waste management guidelines. KP Subramaniam, retired professor of urban engineering at Anna University, says, “The new rules provide a broader and stronger framework over its predecessors. The rules should prioritize participation over regulation. The participation of residents’ welfare associations, NGOs and citizen groups is the key to success.
Waste spillover: Fresh waste accumulates in the Kodungaiyur dump yard without segregation at source, even as biomining of the dump has begun for eco-restoration of the 352-acre area. | Photo courtesy: B. Jyoti Ramalingam
Kurien Joseph, professor of environmental engineering at the 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 source separation. There are other issues too: separate collection of segregated waste, processing of segregated wet waste, recycling of segregated dry waste, labor shortage, and waste-processing – especially micro-composting centres. – The resistance of the public to keep it close to their territory.”
“If we want to become a developed country with clean cities, separate collection facilities are essential. For a city with a population of 1 lakh, the cost could be around ₹10 crore,” he said. Actual cost will depend on available features and intervals. According to Professor Joseph, ULBs should assess the gaps and prepare an action plan for at least five years with projections. “They will have to raise funds by combining various schemes and opportunities,” he said.
Professor Joseph said, shortage of workers in waste management remains an issue. “As the economy improves, people move away from waste-related activities, especially waste collection and management. Thus, the dignity of such jobs must be enhanced and ‘professionalized’ to attract skilled workers, and such people must be trained and retained.” “Implementation of the rules will reduce the cost burden on ULBs, as source separation becomes the responsibility of the waste generators. Bulk waste generators are responsible for processing the wet waste generated by them. The new rules will reduce the waste processing load of ULBs in big cities by at least 25%. Sale of recyclables will also help in cost recovery,” he said.
100% source separation
Emphasizing the need for 100% source separation, he said, “Source separation is very important as it will help in obtaining clean recyclable material. If the waste is mixed at source and separated later, the value of recyclable items is lost. Moreover, ULBs spend on extra labor for separation. Poor source separation will lead to failure in waste processing and poor quality of processed output. The quality of compost and recycling will deteriorate, leading to dumping of waste.”
According to estimates, about 55% of the waste generated by ULBs is wet waste (biodegradable), 30% comprises various types of recyclable waste, and the rest will be inert, sanitary and household hazardous waste. ULBs across Tamil Nadu generate about 16,000 tonnes of solid waste every day, of which about 40% is from the Chennai Corporation. Other corporations generate about 30%, municipalities about 18% and nagar panchayats 12%. Experts say that while door-to-door garbage collection is very good, with about 90% of households collecting garbage, source separation and processing is weak in Tamil Nadu, one of the top urbanized states.
The responsibilities of each stakeholder have been detailed in the new SWM rules. Mandatory separation at source; processing of wet waste; dry, sanitary and special care waste management; Maintenance and compliance of reports through online portal of Central Pollution Control Board; user fees; and environmental compensation are key aspects of the rules.
environmental compensation
The environmental compensation concept is new in the 2026 SWM rules, which implements the “polluter pays” principle. Three batches of programs have been completed to create awareness among ULB leaders in Kanniyakumari. More events are planned in the coming weeks. Chennai Corporation Commissioner GS Sameeran said the rules require a major behavior modification campaign and full cooperation from citizens. “The rules have been in place since April. We are giving each stakeholder six to seven months’ time during this transition phase.”
Other cities are also gearing up to comply with the new rules. In Coimbatore, 100 wards generate more than 1,200 tonnes of municipal solid waste per day. Corporation officials say the city has achieved about 87% source separation, and is working to improve compliance.
Civic officials in Erode say implementation will require strong infrastructure, adequate manpower and sustained public participation. Erode city is spread over 109.52 square km. With a population of 4.98 lakh in 60 wards, around 250 metric tonnes of municipal solid waste is generated every day. Although the corporation has started door-to-door collection and source separation, illegal dumping and open burning continue in many parts of the city.
Salem Corporation health officials say 20 out of 60 wards have been selected as pilot zones for source separation. Tiruchi City Corporation is strengthening its 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 highway.
As this issue is likely to dominate the policy debate in both the state government and local bodies in the coming months, residents are concerned about whether the local bodies are actually prepared for the implementation of the new rules. With the Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam in power in the state and major ULBs ruled by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, the drive for clean cities and towns must move beyond local administration and politics to popular culture.
Speaking on the issue, Gagandeep Singh Bedi, secretary, municipal administration and water supply department, said, “Employees should not be forced to separate garbage themselves. Families should be encouraged to do so. This is the first aspect we are focusing on.”
While successful implementation of the new rules will help boost the waste management system in the state with a focus on ‘segregation, reduction and recycling’, capacity building of local bodies will be important to do so.
(L in Madurai. Srikrishna, with inputs from Siby Srivathsan TC in Coimbatore, Sabari M. in Salem, Ancy Donal Madonna in Tiruchi and SP Saravanan in Erode.)
