Tiruvannamalai Corporation installs specially designed bins to collect PET bottles

Tiruvannamalai Corporation has installed metal bins across ten locations in the new bus terminus and Girivalam Path near Arunachaleswarar temple to encourage residents and travelers to dispose of plastic waste, particularly PET bottles, in an organized manner. The Corporation aims to prevent people, especially travelers, from littering in the open.

With an average of 1.5 lakh visitors daily, primarily to worship at the Arunachaleswarar Temple and ashrams, the initiative will also discourage the dumping of PET bottles in water bodies and storm drains, helping to manage excess rainwater runoff. The bins, each with a capacity of around 300 kg of plastic waste, are part of the 'Clean Tiruvannamalai' initiative launched by Collector Vandhana Garg.

Every day, at least 60 metric tons of waste is generated in Tiruvannamalai, with 20 percent of it being plastic, mostly PET bottles. The collected waste is segregated at ten Micro Compost Centres, each handling up to four tonnes before non-biodegradable materials are sent to the town's landfill site. The initiative seeks to foster a culture of waste disposal among children and promote cleanliness among visitors, including devotees.