From trashing to recycling: Chennai finds green garbage solutions

CHENNAI: Starting from kitchen counters, a new dynamic system is in the making where residents and conservancy workers are dirtying their hands to ensure clean green use of the city's waste.
Composting pits and biogas plants have come up across the city in corporation's vacant lands, burial grounds and near Amma canteens in an effort to treat garbage within a neighbourhood and reduce the inflow into landfills.After a sustained effort, now close to 3% of the total waste generated in the city daily is being segregated and treated. Since January, nearly 141 tonnes of the more than 5,000 tonnes of garbage, that is dumped daily in the landfills in Kodungaiyur and Perungudi, is being recycled to be used as manure in corporation parks and as cooking fuel for government-run canteens.
Though this is a small impact, the practice of decentralising solid waste management is becoming consistent, after failed attempts in the past. More people are now motivated to segregate waste from kitchens as they can they can see the results. "We are responsible for our waste and since conservancy workers are now ensuring the garbage does not get mixed up, we are diligently following the practice here too," says T S Narayan, a retired businessman from Ramapuram. His family began segregation after a team from the corporation gave them two coloured bins.
Sustaining the practice is key observes Raj Cherubal of Chennai City Connect which supports the civic body for clean city campaigns. "Space, logistics and infrastructure were always challenges. Now there is a lot more public support. When people see the waste is not just being dumped, they want to get involved to do something for the environment."
Corporation officials are focussing on gated communities and apartments as these residents tend to be aware about environmental impacts, they also train their household help, aiding in wider reach.
Regional heads of the city — north, central and south — are implementing various initiatives in their respective zones and wards. The central region is leading this change. "Employees too are motivated as we have introduced a sense of competition among neighbourhoods. The next step is to use biogas generated from plants at burial grounds for cremations," says Subodh Kumar, central regional deputy commissioner. As an incentive, conservancy workers are allowed to sell dry waste to scrap dealers.
In north Chennai, residents are composting at home. They are either selling the manure produced, or using it in gardens. "Where people don't segregate, conservancy workers show them manure produced by others to encourage them," says Rajashekhar, an official from Thiruvottiyur. Southern regional head, Gopala Sundara Raj plans to target resident welfare associations, apartments and slums next.