Mandatory waste management system for bulk generators in Maradu

Bulk waste generators in Maradu municipality will soon be brought under a mandatory waste management system.

Once the system is in place, bulk waste generators will not be able to manage waste on their own or through any external agencies and will be required to rely on the agency selected by the municipality. The new move by the civic body aims at preventing dumping of waste in waterbodies and ensuring proper waste management by bulk generators such as hotels, malls, and hospitals.

The Health department has identified as many as ten such bulk waste generators in the municipality. Bulk generators are classified based on the amount of waste they generate. “Any establishment that generates 100 kg or more waste a day is classified as bulk generator, and it will have to get the waste managed by the designated agency,” said a senior Health official.

The municipality is all set to sign an agreement with a private agency for rolling out the system.

“The agency has been selected, and the agreement needs to be signed. Waste generators will have to pay the agency directly for its services. We will only be empanelling the agency for waste management,” said the official.

The decision comes in the wake of frequent waste dumping incidents. “Most apartment complexes have their own mechanism to manage waste, so they are not part of the system. Malls, hotels, and hospitals fall under its ambit. Organisations often claim that their waste is being sent to pig farms. But this does not add up, as there are not enough pig farms to handle such large volumes of waste. So, we decided to come up with a mandatory waste management programme,” the official added.