Salem Corporation starts installing GPS trackers in garbage collection vehicles

Global Positioning System (GPS) will be installed in garbage collection vehicles engaged in collecting waste from household in the Corporation limit and their movements will be tracked. The installation work has started and is scheduled to be completed in 45 days

Global Positioning System (GPS) will be installed in garbage collection vehicles engaged in collecting waste from household in the Corporation limit and their movements will be tracked. The installation work has started and is scheduled to be completed in 45 days.

The Corporation has a population of 9.66 lakh, 2.38 lakh residences, 25,457 commercial establishments, eight daily markets, and two bus stands, and from these places, 550 tonnes of garbage are generated per day. Out of these, 319 tonnes of garbage are sent to micro composting centres (MCC) and 25 tonnes are incinerated. The remaining garbage was dumped at the Chettichavadi dump yard, which spreads over 100 acres. For collecting this garbage, the Corporation has 216 light commercial vehicles , 15 compactors, 11 tipper lorries, three dumper blazer trucks, seven mini tippers, and two hook loaders.

Meanwhile, councillors alleged in the council meetings that the vehicles are not properly collecting garbage from the residents.They also alleged that some vehicles were not collecting garbage but claimed they collected it. Following these allegations, a few months ago, the civic body announced that it would install GPS trackers in the vehicles. But the announcement was not implemented. On Monday, GPS installation work started at the Corporation.

Health officials said that after Corporation Commissioner S. Balachander, who assumed office recently, he instructed installation of the GPS trackers in the garbage collection vehicles on a war-footing manner. The vehicles are used for garbage collection (door-to-door). Based on the instructions, the installation of GPS in the vehicles started at a cost of ₹45 lakh. “We have targetted to complete the installation work in 45 days,” said an official. In the first phase, all 216 vehicles would get GPS trackers. Later, all the garbage vehicles would be fitted with GPS. The vehicles would be monitored from the Corporation office by the Corporation Commissioner, Mayor, and City Health Officer. “We could take printouts of vehicles on a daily basis if needed based on GPS data and take action against erring workers,” the official said.