The Hindu 20.06.2016
Erode Corporation yet to ensure effective waste segregation at source
QUITE CONVENIENT:Conservancy workers in two of the 12 wards in Lakhapuram panchayat are utilising a battery-operated tricycle.
The City Corporation is understandably yet to make inroads in segregation of waste at source.
The
workers take a pretty lengthy duration to gather wastes from the
doorsteps. In very many localities, the conservancy workers come for
collecting wastes only once in three or four days.
The
workers say they cannot be blamed since pushing the load of wastes
drains their energy and consumes enormous time. Sanitary workers find
the pushcarts provided by the Corporation rather cumbersome to handle.
“In fact, we are left with very little time to segregate the garbage,
and find ourselves constrained to throw the entire wastes into the bin,”
a worker said, advocating battery fitment for the tricycles.
Incidentally,
workers handling wastes with the two battery-operated three-wheelers
donated in recent months by Olirum Erodu Foundation in Zones II and IV
are able to enhance their productivity and efficiency. The
three-wheelers are being utilised in Periyar Nagar and Suriyampalayam.
According
to OEF sources, a battery-operated vehicle costs around Rs. 1.5 lakh.
The one-time investment is worth making since the workers will be able
to find time for segregating wastes at source, residential associations
emphasise.
A good number of local bodies in the State
have taken the lead in providing battery-operated three-wheelers for
scientific waste disposal.
Earlier this month,
District Collector S. Prabakar handed over a battery-operated
three-wheeler to the Lakhapuram Panchayat adjoining the city limits.
The
vehicle that would be operated by members of women self-help groups was
jointly donated by OEF and Young Indians of CII Erode Zone.
They were educated about biodegradable and non-biodegradable wastes before initiating them into door-to-door collection.
