New guidelines: GPS now must in all vehicles collecting waste 

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government has issued operational guidelines for septage management in urban and rural local bodies as Tamil Nadu Urban Local Bodies and Chennai Metropolitan Area Septage Management (Regulation) Rules 2022 have come into effect on January 1, 2023.

According to the state government’s order, based on the 2011 census record, 50% of the population has been living in urban areas. “The state has continuously taken strict actions to prevent illegal sewerage discharge and to protect waterbodies. Besides, this is the high time to streamline the operations of trucks and other vehicles that transport garbage and sewage,” the order said.

The guidelines’ major key points are that the urban local bodies will issue licences for two years to vehicle owners for the collection of garbage and sewage by charging Rs 2,000.  The officials have also been instructed to maintain a register of vehicles that were entrusted with the collection of garbage and sewage, with GPS installed in those vehicles so as to track their movement.

The order also says, to utilise the disposal facility centre for garbage and sewage, the registered vehicle owners have to pay Rs 200 up to 6000 litres for one-time use and Rs 300 for quantity above above 6,000 litres. First-time offenders may receive a fine of Rs 25,000 while repeat offenders may receive a fine of Rs 50,000.