Chennai Corporation to Introduce Closed Waste Container Trucks for Garbage Transport
The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has announced the deployment of 48 closed waste container trucks to reduce foul odour from garbage vehicles and prevent waste spillage on city roads. The initiative will be implemented in phases, with the first phase covering the Royapuram and Thiru Vi Ka Nagar zones from June.
Each container can carry between 15 and 20 tonnes of waste. The containers are expected to be ready by the end of May, with operations commencing in the first week of June. This is the first such initiative in Tamil Nadu, following a similar system adopted in Hyderabad.
The move is expected to benefit residents of areas such as Sathiyamoorthi Nagar, Mullai Nagar, Kodungaiyur, and Vyasarpadi, as well as neighbourhoods in Tondiarpet, Moolakadai, and Tiruvottiyur. At present, waste from eight zones is transported through these localities to the Kodungaiyur dump yard.
Chennai Enviro Solutions Private Limited, which manages solid waste operations in the two zones, stated that the airtight containers will be used to transport waste from transfer stations to landfills or processing facilities, preventing odour leakage. Each container has a capacity of 24 cubic metres and can transport up to 19 metric tonnes of waste in a single trip.
The higher capacity is also expected to improve operational efficiency by reducing the number of trips. Existing 8-cubic-metre compactors carry around 5 tonnes per trip, while 14-cubic-metre compactors transport up to 10 tonnes.
GCC Commissioner J Kumaragurubaran said the closed cylindrical container system would be extended to other zones in the city, with preparatory work already in progress.
Welcoming the initiative, TK Shanmugam, President of the Federation of North Chennai Resident Welfare Associations, said the measure would offer temporary relief but stressed the need for a long-term zero-waste strategy. He urged the corporation to focus on alternatives such as increased composting facilities and decentralised biogas units, instead of transporting waste through residential areas or relying on the proposed waste-to-energy incineration plant at Kodungaiyur.
Residents have also raised concerns that waste vehicles are often not adequately covered, leading to spillage and road safety risks.
