The Hindu 07.02.2011
Stress on source segregation of waste
Corporation has distributed two lakh bins to city's residents
Segregation of waste at source is a must for the success of the solid waste management programme, said Coimbatore Corporation Commissioner Anshul Mishra at ‘Project-Glow Coimbatore', an event The Hindu organised in association with the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Coimbatore, on Saturday.
In the well-attended session, Mr. Mishra said that the Corporation had distributed two lakh bins to help the city's residents segregate the degradable waste from the non-degradable waste. It would distribute another two lakh bins.
The Hindu and the Chamber had organised the event to provide an interface between Government officials and the city's residents. This is the second such interface.
Through a detailed presentation, the Commissioner said the civic body had been implementing the Rs. 96-crore solid waste management programme with funds sanctioned by the Central and State governments under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission.
Since the launch of the programme in 2006, the number of hand carts had gone up from 500 to 1,980, seamless carts from zero to 200, vehicle mounted sweepers from zero to three, etc.
The collection of waste too had gone up, he said and added that 95 per cent of the city's waste was being collected.
The waste collected by conservancy workers was taken to roadside bins, from there by lorries to transit stations, where its gets compacted and then travels to the compost yard at Vellore.
Even as he was making the presentation by showing slides with pictures of improved transit stations and old dump yards at Kavundampalayam, Peelamedu and other places, the audience acknowledged the efforts taken through bouts of applauses.
He said the Corporation would soon launch special programmes to collect household hazardous waste, take up intensive awareness programmes and consider suggestions made at the meeting.
The Chamber president M. Krishnan submitted a memorandum to the Commissioner, wherein, among other things, he said the Corporation should consider setting up a 24x7 call centre for complaints.
The memorandum also said that walkers' path should be established around water bodies and CNG buses should be introduced. He also welcomed the gathering.
Vice president of the Chamber R.R. Balasundharam read out the memorandum that contained various suggestions for a clean Coimbatore. Chief of Bureau, The Hindu, Coimbatore, K.V. Prasad introduced the ‘Project-Glow Coimbatore' programme. Honorary Secretary G.D. Gopalakrishnan also spoke.
The programme saw the participation of the city's residents, representatives of various residents' welfare associations, a research student from France, a medical waste management expert among others.
