Tirunelveli Corporation has four zones wherein 15 village panchayats were also added with the Corporation during the constitution. The whole area is divided into 55 wards and the City Sanitation is effectively operated by 17 sanitary units each one comprising of two to four wards, as follows:
| Sl.No. | Zone | Unit Office | Wards |
| 1 | Tirunelveli | 1 | 40,41,42,43 |
| | | 2 | 44,51,52,53 |
| | | 3 | 45,46,47 |
| | | 4 | 48,49,50 |
| 2 | Thatchanallur | 5 | 1, 2, 3 |
| | | 6 | 4, 5, 6 |
| | | 7 | 7, 39 |
| | | 8 | 8, 9, 10 |
| | | 9 | 54, 55 |
| 3 | Palayamkottai | 10 | 11,12,13,14 |
| | | 11 | 15,16,17 |
| | | 12 | 18,20,21 |
| | | 13 | 22,23,24,25 |
| 4 | Melepalayam | 14 | 19,26,27 |
| | | 15 | 28,29,30,31 |
| | | 16 | 32,33,34,35 |
| | | 17 | 36,37,38 |
Each unit is headed by a Sanitary Inspector assisted by Sanitary Supervisor and is allotted necessary equipments, manpower and vehicles for the solid waste management
and Five Dumper placer lorry with 89 Bins (4.5 Cu.m) for whole area.
Generation of Solid Waste per day:
Population of Tirunelveli Corporation : 4,25,774
10% Floating population : 42,577
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Total population : 4,68,351
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Generation of waste at the rate of 300 gm
per head : 140 MT/day
Collection of Waste : 100 MT/day
. No.of Sanitary Workers required : 1070
No.of Sanitary Workers available : 817
PRIMARY COLLECTION.
The Sanitary workers commence their work in the early morning at 6 A.M. after their attendance at the concerned unit office in all working days. They are given either Pushcarts or Tricycles with coloured Bins for the collection of garbage from each house of the street by door to door collection. Segregation of garbage is done at this Primary collection level. Their arrival is announced to the public by whistle sound. The segregated garbage is collected in the specific coloured bins and are taken to the temporary garbage storage points, where the non degradable waste is bundled and weighed with the Spring Balance by the Sanitary Supervisor. Details like the quantity of Non-degradable waste, persons collected, the trip time etc., are entered in the format in duplicate. From this temporary point garbage is loaded in the allotted vehicle and is taken to the garbage dumping yard located about 7 km away from urban habitation.
The non degradable waste bundles are also taken in the same vehicle. At the entry point of the dumping yard the weight of the non-degradable waste is verified and the format is counter signed by the person in charge there and is returned back to the unit Sanitary Inspector. The whole degradable garbage is weighed at the weigh bridge and the quantity is measured and entered in the register there. The average quantity of degradable waste (garbage) collected by each sanitary division is given below:
| Units | Degradable Waste in Kg. | Non- Degradable Waste in Kg. |
| 1. | 10798 | 250 |
| 2 | 5825 | 100 |
| 3 | 3833 | 50 |
| 4 | 4744 | 50 |
| 5 | 5980 | 50 |
| 6 | 10140 | 200 |
| 7 | 3586 | 40 |
| 8 | 5180 | 75 |
| 9 | 5886 | 50 |
| 10 | 6601 | 150 |
| 11 | 3630 | 125 |
| 12 | 6851 | 100 |
| 13 | 10649 | 300 |
| 14 | 3852 | 150 |
| 15 | 7511 | 150 |
| 16 | 3591 | 100 |
| 17 | 5001 | 75 |
| | 103658 | 2015 |
On an average, 100 M.T. of degradable waste and 2.5 MT of Non degradable waste are removed from the City daily to the compost yard.
Under SWM Action plan, For door to door Collection, 250 Nos. of Tricycle with 1000 Bins were newly purchased at an estimate cost of Rs.28.45 Lakhs and is now put into use.
SECONDARY COLLECTION
The collected garbage are transported to the dumping yard by heavy vehicle
1. Mini Lorry - 7
2. Tipper Lorry - 3
3. Non Tipper Lorry – 3
4. Auto - 2
5. Dumper Placer - 5
Total No. of Heavy Vehicles - 20
For improving transportation of garbage, 4 Nos. of Dumber Placer and 80 Nos. of Bins were purchased at an estimate cost of Rs.78.00 Lakhs.
The Location and area of dumping yard:
The dumping yard is located at a place called Ramayanpatti about 7 km away 
from the Corporation in the North eastern direction. It extends to an area of 118 acres.
10,000 tree saplings have been planted in Compost Yard.
One computerized Weigh Bridge also has been erected in the Compost Yard.
Way of Disposal:
a) Degradable Waste:
Ø The degradable garbage is being dumped at the garbage dumping yard.
Ø This garbage is converted into manure through the Open Windrow Method.
Ø At Present only a small quantity of the collected garbage is utilized for manure formation. (about 2 - 4 tones of garbage collected from market area)
Ø Windrows are constructed at the new platform and the manure is obtained through the aerobic process which is sieved through the siever machine and is sold to private agency.
Ø the residue (Refuse) is stored to be disposed off a Land fill which is to be constructed as per the suggestion of the special consultant from TNUIFSL.
b) Non Degradable:
Ø non degradable waste is separately dumped in the compost yard.
Ø Self Help Groups are given loan from SJSRY for purchase of a Shredder Machine to be put into use to shred the non degradable garbage like Plastic, Polythene, Termocole etc.
Ø shredded product is planned to be utilized for laying plastic roads and to sell to other Local Bodies.
PRIVATIZATION IN SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT
The Corporation limit extends to an area of 108.65 sq.km with a total population of 4.25 lakhs as on 2005. It has been estimated that the generation of garbage is 140 M.T. daily. Due to shortage of Manpower and materials the whole amount of garbage could not be cleared out of the city. Therefore this collection work has also been entrusted to some of the welfare associations and colony people residing within the Corporation area. The corporation gives a contribution of Rs. 5 per house in the colony. The association has to engage suitable person for collecting the garbage by door to door method, of course by source segregation and to pay for the collection working by contribution equal amount or more amount. The collected garbage should reach the temporary storage point from where it would be taken by the collecting vehicle. So far 30 colonies with 4500 households have registered with the Corporation for the implementation of this scheme. The monthly contribution for this privatization scheme by the corporation is Rs.22,500. If this service is carried out by a permanent employee of the corporation this 4500 households need 18 sanitary workers for whom an amount of Rs.12.96 Lakhs (6000 x 18 x 12) should have been paid as annual salary excluding the other benefits. Thus the Corporation is saving an amount of Rs.10.26 Lakhs per annum.
Moreover, 7 SHG formed by 130 members, whose relatives are employed at the Corporation have made agreement with the Corporation and are given garbage collection work in a few wards. (2, 3, 6, 40, 41, 15, 16, 27, 30, 31, 32, 33) in addition to the regular employees. On Payment of Rs. 54 on daily wage basis for each worker for the period for which they are engaged and the payment is given to the Society and not to the individual in order to avert Labour Act and other problems. Corporation is paying monthly to the Self Help Group at the rate of Rs.54 for 130 workers totally an average of Rs. 2.10 lakhs per month and per annum Rs. 25.20 lakhs. If 130 sanitary workers are engaged on permanent basis Corporation is annually to pay Rs. 93.60 lakhs so that Corporation is having the savings of Rs. 68.40 lakhs.
As the strength of the sanitary workers is insufficient, the maintenance of 12 ISP and 29 Vambay Toilets are under taken by the women SHGs. The public toilets at 3 major bus stands and in two major markets are leased out to NGO’s on a concessional rate. The NGO also has to maintain the toilets and remit the electricity consumption charges pertaining to the toilet buildings. In addition they have to keep the bus stands clean by sweeping the entire area in a systematic manner. Corporation earns a revenue by way of savings towards the salary of the sanitary staff and electricity charges. In this way the sanitary condition of the bus stand & the toilets situated therein are maintained properly.
Special Efforts taken to improve SWM
Emergency Service Team :
A team consisting of 28 Sanitary workers and 2 Sanitary Supervisors under a Sanitary Inspector has been formed to undertake all Emergency and Essential works in the inevitable situations. This team is provided with necessary equipments and a tipper vehicle. Their daily work would be scheduled and the duty chart would be informed at the office as Advanced Duty Programme. Any emergency work to be carried out urgently may be informed to them by the officials or elected members or by the public. The work accomplished by them will be informed to the City Health Officer daily.
Removal of Dead Animals:
Special workers with a vehicle is made available for any call from the public pertaining to the removal of any dead animals any where with in the vicinity of the Corporation. They are given Cell Phone (94422 01333) and this number is exhibited in all the ward offices. Any call to this number will be promptly attended.
Collection of Non - degradable waste
Waste is collected separately as Degradable and non degradable waste at the Primary Stage itself. The metals and Glass are collected and sent for recycling at the Primary Collection level. The plastics are collected by door to door collection separately and also by the street sweepers. As a special effort instruction has been given to weigh the Plastics collected and the bundled Plastics Wastes are taken separately by all the units to the dumping yard where also these plastic wastes are weighed. It has been proclaimed that the concerned personnel who collect the highest quantity of plastic will be rewarded with prizes. So far about 800 M.T. of Plastics have been collected .
Disposal of Bio - Medical Waste:
The Bio Medical Waste generated from the health care units of Tirunelveli Corporation is safely disposed by Deep Burial Method. There are 8 Urban Health Posts, 5 Dispensaries and two Hospitals in the Corporation. An average total quantity of about 4 Kg/day of Bio Medical Waste is collected from these units, after proper segregation and is transported in the special vehicle provided for this purpose. These tasks are done by the specially trained workers who handle the waste with specific protective devices. A safe and protected area at the compost yard is selected and the waste is disposed off by deep burial process as per the schedule of the Bio Medical Waste rules 1998.
G. Governance
All garbage carrying vehicles are weighed at bridge & data is transmitted to main office through computer. Daily reports are generated & performance of each Sanitary Inspector/drivers is closely watched.
FEATURE ACTION PLAN CUM ROAD MAP
1) Extension of door to door campaign and awareness campaign on segregation of waste in Tirunelveli and Melapalayam Zones.
2) Promotion of zero garbage concept at household level in all zones.
3) Further promotion of concept of decentralized composting at household and community level in all zones.
4) Further mechanization of the garbage transport machinery by conversion of lorries to tippers, purchase of JCB , more push carts with source segregation.
5) Operationalization of compost plant at corporation dumping yard with private participation.
6) Continuation of drive to create awareness and take enforcement action to check usage of below 20 micron throw away plastic carry bag and cups.
7) Create awareness on alternative materials such as mud pots, paper plates, cups through exhibitions, SHG’s, NGOs.
8) Continuation of drive regarding enforcement of SWM rules and provisions by imposing fine on opening dumping of garbage, littering etc.
9) More involvement of housing welfare association , NGO , SHG’s in solid waste management, tree plantation creation of litter free streets and colonies, wermi composting and zero garbage.
10) Privatization of Sanitation work in one zone.
Solid Waste Management:
Existing Scenario:
1) Population of the City : 4.25 lakhs
2) Daily Garbage generation : 140 M.T
3) Daily Garbage collection : 100 M.T
MANPOWER
No. of Sanitary Inspectors : 9
No. of Sanitary Supervisors : 34
No. of Sanitary Workers : 817
Material available
No of try cycles : 250
No. of Big containers (4.5 Cu.m) : 89
No of Hand cart : 150
No of Auto’s : 2
No. of Lorries and tractors : 20
No of Dumper Placer Lorries : 5
Excavator cum loader : 2
