Vacant plots filled with plastic waste have been a common sight across the Fort City. But all it took were signboards to send owners of such sites into a tizzy.
The Vellore Corporation put up boards near private lands littered with plastic waste proclaiming them to have been identified for public use.
Four days after the Corporation put up these boards at more than 100 private plots, 11 owners turned up and began clearing their plots and constructing a compound wall to protect against littering.
The aim of putting up these boards was to galvanise plot owners into taking action against dumping of waste, particularly plastics, on their property, said S. Siva Subramanian, Commissioner of Vellore Corporation. “In fact, we placed the boards in our own area. But when seen from a distance, it will look as if the boards have been erected on the private land,” he added.
Drive to continue
The Corporation has readied 250 such boards, and has so far installed 126. “We are continuing to identify private lands that are littered with plastics and will put up the remaining boards soon. Many people buy sites but do not build a compound wall. As a result, people dump waste on the land. Fencing will prevent littering and protect the plot from encroachments,” he added.
The Corporation removed all garbage bins early this year after introducing door-to-door collection of trash. In the absence of bins, several residents began dumping waste on vacant plots. “So far, we have achieved 80% door-to-door collection of waste,” he said. The 60 wards generate 230 tonnes of waste a day. Of this, plastic waste accounted for 40 tonnes, he added.