The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : "Home beautifiers" to help with garbage disposal

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Sep 12, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

"Home beautifiers" to help with garbage disposal

Staff Reporter

Civic group releases report on waste disposal management

NO RULES: Chennai Corporation employees segregate waste every day from 7 to 11 a.m., at Sankarapuram I Street in Choolaimedu. This picture was taken on Saturday around 10.30 a.m.

CHENNAI: Releasing a report card on the implementation of the municipal solid waste management rules of 2000, members of Civic Exnora and heads of federations of residents' welfare associations on Saturday alleged that Chennai Corporation and Alandur municipality had failed to protect the rights of residents in Pallikaranai, Perungudi, Kodungaiyur and Velachery.

In protest against the Corporation and municipality's "lack of concern," the residents have decided not to dispose of garbage in the public bins. "We will compost it at home," said M.B. Nirmal, founder president of Exnora International. The non-government organisation has introduced the concept of "home beautifiers" who will go to every household in the area and assist in converting "waste into wealth." Organic waste will be composted and inorganic waste collected and disposed of in line with norms.

Residents of Mylai Balaji Nagar near Pallikaranai were vocal in their protests. They said family members suffered from skin and other health problems. Some of them had succumbed to asthma and others suffered from lung disorders. "We are now being given medicines for tuberculosis," said a woman resident.

Pallikaranai, a marshland considered a drainage system for rainwater in south Chennai, has been destroyed by government bodies and much of the 5000 acres extending from Taramani to Siruseri has either been converted into dumping yards or turned into commercial areas. Initially, only 75 acres were allotted to the Corporation for dumping garbage but the civic authority used 250 acres for the purpose. Only 593.58 hectares of the marshland is now intact.

The residents consider it a victory that in answer to their protests sewage water earlier let into the marshland is being treated and discharged into the Buckingham Canal.

The municipality and the civic body together dump 2,000 tonnes of garbage in the marshland and burn the garbage to provide more space for dumping garbage, residents say. Exnora members said the Corporation and Onyx collected garbage but did not segregate waste. The NGO says in places such as Nungambakkam, Exnora's initiative has been curbed and the Corporation has built new garbage dumping yards where no segregation is done.

Rajesh Rangarajan of Toxics Link, said the world over incinerators had been discarded as an unviable option to burn garbage because of the costs involved. Members of residents' associations and NGOs had gathered as part of the "global week of action against incineration and environmental pollution" being observed from September 5 to 11.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu