Waste collection in Madurai goes smart with AI-powered cameras

Madurai: Madurai corporation plans to install 60 artificial intelligence (AI)-powered cameras in the first phase of a smart waste management project aimed at monitoring overflowing garbage bins and curbing illegal dumping. The initiative, sanctioned at a cost of 50 lakh, is being implemented under the Tamil Nadu Innovation Initiatives (TANII) of the State Planning Commission.

After Greater Chennai Corporation, Madurai will be the second city in Tamil Nadu to adopt AI-based surveillance for waste monitoring. The project will be rolled out on a pilot basis in two phases, initially focusing on the central zone, including South and North Bank Road of the Vaigai river and areas around the Meenakshi Amman Temple. In the second phase, 20–40 more cameras will be added. According to corporation officials, tenders for the first phase installation have also been released.

Corporation officials said the cameras will be programmed to detect overflowing bins and send automated SMS alerts to the concerned sanitary inspector and the officer in charge. Alerts will also be relayed to the Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) at the corporation office, which will maintain data on clearance efficiency and frequency of bin overflows. "The system will not only help us improve waste clearance but also penalise individuals caught dumping garbage at unauthorised locations," a senior corporation official said.

A senior health official noted that the technology would strengthen efforts to prevent garbage dumping along the Vaigai river. "Despite our regular checks, waste disposal into the river continues. These cameras will make detection faster and more effective," the official said.