The Hindu 12.08.2013
Waste management begins at home here
“It’s time we stopped depending on the government for everything”
The stench from piling garbage on Balasubramaniam Street
in Mylapore every day only reinforces Srinivas Krishnaswamy’s efforts
at source segregation.
A resident of Mylapore, Mr.
Krishnaswamy rarely dumps garbage on street corners. “The stench near
garbage bins bothers pedestrians. We also see residents in Perungudi and
Kodungaiyur suffering because of our waste disposal. So, I have decided
not to contribute to waste generation in the city,” says Mr.
Krishnaswamy.
A. Noorjahan, councillor of ward 112
which covers Mr. Krishnaswamy’s neighbourhood, says that more such
residents may contribute to reduction in garbage generated in the area.
“But, most of the residents do not bother to segregate waste. We force
conservancy workers to work hard and ensure that the neighbourhood
remains clean. Efforts taken for conservancy operations could be
channelled for other purposes if residents shoulder some
responsibility,” says Ms. Noorjahan.
Mr. Krishnaswamy
attributes his success in preventing waste from entering the city’s
dumping yards to his choice of consumer products procured from the
market. “We do not buy products packed in plastics that cannot be
recycled. It is not a jolly thing to do. We carry our own bags for
purchase of consumer goods,” he adds.
The family has
commissioned a compost yard on the first floor of their house where
biodegradable waste is collected. The family has set an example for
zero-waste household in a relatively smaller area on the first floor.
Radhika
Rajmohan, a resident in a larger household in Adyar, says she
segregates recyclables such as plastics, glass and paper. The compost
pile occupies about 6 ft x 4 ft. The fine finished compost only
motivates us, she adds.
V. Balakrishnan, a resident
of Besant Nagar, designed his own equipment after retirement from
Railways in 2008. “The equipment converts garbage and kitchen waste
generated from my household into organic manure by aerobic composting
without any odour. Many people adopt my design in their backyard to
reduce their garbage and kitchen waste. Since October 2008, I have never
sent my garden and kitchen waste to corporation landfills like in
Perungudi. The organic manure produced in my home is used for gardening.
“Details
on my zero-waste equipment can be seen on my
website, www.enrichearth.com. Residents’ associations have emulated the
model. My aim is to have a pollution-free Chennai. My work towards this
end is to make people aware of their social responsibility and not
depend on the government for everything,” he says.
