The Tiruchi City Corporation has planned to stop collection of solid waste from apartment complexes in the city soon. The move has drawn flak from residents who contend that waste management is the civic body's prime responsibility.

The Corporation has issued notices to a few apartment complexes in the city asking them to go for composting units and plans to hand out a few more notices in the upcoming weeks leading up to when the service will stop. S. Sivasubramanian, Corporation Commissioner, said that apartment complexes with an area of over 5,000 square metres, having 10 flats and above will have to comply. “These apartment complexes usually levy maintenance and service charges from residents of about ₹2,000. They can collect it and set up a shredder and composting unit,” he said. “By April, collection of wastes from apartments will fully stop,” he added.

Mr. Sivasubramanian said that since the collection of waste from hostels, hostels and restaurants has been stopped, the waste handled by the civic body has reduced by at least 30%.

Residents, however, are unsure of the initiative and said that most buildings in the city would not be able to follow the directive. “We received a notice about a week ago but we will not be able to put up a composting unit due to lack of space. Even if a few of the residents are willing, we will not be able to force residents of every flat to do it,” said a resident of an apartment in Thillai Nagar.

“The civic body authorities are doing whatever they please, they are abandoning projects and destroying perfectly good infrastructure to rebuild it and on another side, they are pushing unreasonable norms down residents throats. It is a total waste of public money,” he said.

Residents of another apartment complex, in Srirangam zone, have not received any notice but have been told by their local sanitary workers that the move will be initiated soon. The building, consisting of 15 flats has already set up a rainwater harvesting system, water purifying system, underground drainage and other necessary amenities. “We followed the Corporation's directions but waste collection and management is under their purview”, said P.Madhavan, a resident of an apartment in Srirangam.

“We are paying house tax, underground charges and solid waste collection charges. Large garbage bins were removed saying that a decentralised waste management system would be put in place. Where is decentralisation if nobody is going to come to collect it?” he asked.