The Hindu 07.02.2011
Stress on source segregation of waste
Corporation has distributed two lakh bins to city’s residents
Panacea for all ills: Corporation Commissioner Anshul Mishra replies to
questions at ‘Glow Coimbatore’ an interface on ‘Clean Coimbatore:
Government-Citizens Role’, organised by TheHindu and The Indian Chamber
of Commerce and Industry, in Coimbatore on Saturday. Chamber of Commerce
President M. Krishnan (centre) and Vice-president R.R. Balasundaram
(right) are in the picture. (Right) A Participant raising a query. —
Photo: K. Ananthan
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 24×7 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.
