Vellore Corporation has started installing metal bins at six busy public locations. These bins are for collecting plastic waste, mainly PET bottles, to stop people from dumping trash in Nicholson canal. The canal helps drain excess rainwater into the Palar River. "The initiative will also help residents avoid dumping such used pet bottles in Nicholson canal. It will help the canal to discharge excess rainwater especially during monsoon into the Palar River," said R. Lakshmanan, Commissioner, Vellore Corporation. The six spots chosen include old bus terminus opposite fort complex, Netaji market, Lang Bazaar Road, new bus terminus off NH 48, and Chittoor bus stand in Katpadi. Each bin can hold about 300 PET bottles and will be emptied daily by sanitary workers. Each spot will have two bins, with more bins at the new bus terminus due to higher footfall. About 1.5 lakh people visit Vellore daily for work and medical treatment. Residents welcomed the idea. "Such bins for PET bottles are a welcome idea as it will encourage people to dump these wastes in the bins rather than in the open. Awareness should be created to make the idea reach a larger audience," said B. Parvathi, a resident. Currently, Vellore produces 240 tonnes of garbage daily, including six tonnes of plastic waste mostly made up of PET bottles. The plastic waste is processed at 11 Micro Composting Centres, each with a waste shredding machine. The Corporation plans to add a shredding machine at the new bus terminus to manage the collected PET bottles. This project is a corporate social responsibility (CSR) drive. Officials plan to extend it to public parks soon, encouraging children to use bins. Vellore has 120 parks, with 30 regularly visited. The Nicholson canal is nine kilometers long and was built in the 1890s by the British. It prevents flooding by channeling rainwater from nearby hillocks into the Palar River. The canal also protects important town areas like the fort where British forces once stayed.