CHENNAI: To tackle solid waste, the Tamil Nadu govt plans to set up a separate solid waste management corporation like the one in Goa, the state minister for climate change and environment, Siva V Meyyanathan stated in Chennai on Saturday. He also said the state had prepared a separate action plan to tackle air pollution for Chennai, Madurai, Trichy and Thoothukudi that had higher ambient ait pollution in comparison to other cities.
"This agency will have a separate IAS officer heading it and will only frame policies and take action on local bodies and private entities who violate the solid waste rules. We are in talks with the chief minister about this and we will implement this soon," he said.
Talking about the city action plans on tackling air pollution, he said, "We have already taken several steps to reduce air and water pollution such as setting up of sewage treatment plants, zero liquid discharge in industries and have set up flying squads to ensure solid waste in not dumped in water bodies in five districts of Chennai, Vellore, Salem, Namakkal and Tirupur. The Chennai air action plan aims to reduce emissions and measures will be taken to avoid resuspension of dust in congested areas," he said. He was speaking at the two-day sensitization and a review workshop under National Clean Air Program and 15 th Finance commission for the southern region of India organised by the union ministry for environment, forest and climate change and the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board.
