Conservancy workers demonstrating on segregating waste in Erode in Tamil Nadu on Thursday.

| Photo Credit: GOVARTHAN M.

Owners of marriage halls, hotels, apartment complexes and industrial establishments within the Corporation limits have been instructed to segregate waste before handing it over to conservancy workers.At a consultation meeting on the Solid Waste Management Rules 2026 held at the Corporation office on Wednesday (May 20, 2026), City Health Officer K. Gowri Saravanan said biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste generated by commercial establishments should be segregated at source.The Union Government had notified the Solid Waste Management Rules 2026 on January 27, replacing the earlier 2016 framework, and the rules came into force on April 1, she said.More than 200 stakeholders, including owners of marriage halls, hotels and commercial establishments, participated in the meeting.Ms. Gowri said wet, dry and hazardous waste should be segregated at the point of generation and non-biodegradable waste should be properly handed over to conservancy workers. She sought the cooperation of commercial establishments for effective implementation of the rules.During the meeting, marriage hall owners said segregating waste such as plantain leaves and disposable tumblers during weddings and other functions was difficult. They suggested that the Corporation deploy workers to separately collect compostable waste and said they were willing to pay a fee for the service.Ms. Gowri said the Corporation would hold further consultations before taking a decision on the request. Published - May 21, 2026 05:40 pm IST