TN govt passes order to form Thooimai Mission panel

CHENNAI: Less than a week since Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin announced it in the State Assembly, the state government has issued orders to constitute Thooimai Mission, a new state-level mission for sustainable waste management involving the transition from linear waste disposal systems to circulate resource management in the state.

Per the order issued on April 2 by Pradeep Yadav, additional chief secretary of the State Special Programme Implementation (SPI) department, the vision of Thooimai Mission would be revolutionising waste management with emphasis on the shift from waste disposal to resource recovery, aligning with regenerative principles and broader goals of sustainability and societal progress. Ensuring universal access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene by fostering sustainable infrastructure, community engagement, and innovative practices would be a key objective of the mission.

The mission would provide leadership, policy direction, framing and approving guidelines besides inter-department coordination. It would comprise a governing body with CM Stalin as its chairperson and the deputy CM as vice chairman, and ministers of health, water resources, municipal administration, rural development, higher education and school education as its members.

The state chief secretary will chair the state-level executive committee, comprising nine department heads and up to three field experts as members. A district-level committee headed by the district collector and a block-level or urban local body-level Thooimai committee would also be formed for implementation.

The Clean Tamil Nadu Company Limited (CTCL), which has been functioning under the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj department, would be brought under the SPI department and function as the mission nucleus.

A one-time grant of Rs 10 crore to CTCL to carry out regular administration, human resources and monitoring has also been sanctioned. The CTCL has been authorized to undertake pilot projects with funding through the local bodies concerned.

Besides enhancing waste collection and segregation, CTCL would also focus on monetising waste through selling recyclable waste and refuse-derived fuel, user fees from bulk waste generators, extended producer responsibility contributions and bio-waste processing.

Mission possible

Health, water resources, municipal administration, school and higher education, and rural development departments to play key roles in the mission

CTCL will receive a one-time grant of Rs 10 crore to carry out administrative works

Waste collection and segregation aside, the mission will focus on monetising and processing the waste

The CM will head the governing body and the chief secretary will head the state-level executive panel