CHENNAI: It’s always the local knowledge that is very important. They know what’s good for their community; they know how to deal with their people and what works better. We should take these things into account,” offers Vamsi Kapilavai of the Civic Action Group. While this is the driving force behind many back-to-basics initiatives like local governance and community courts across the world, it’s served as the basis for the handful of community waste management projects in the city.
Successful ones at that. While the Greater Chennai Corporation for various reasons is yet to roll out a solid waste management plan that covers the entire city and accounts for every step from source segregation to full-fledged recycling, a few resident welfare associations have managed to bring it out in their neighbourhoods and gated communities; thanks to the advantage of small numbers, and some help from the corporation itself.
A plan for the neighbourhood
For people of Kasturba Nagar in Adyar, what started as an exercise to monitor the compliance of source segregation rules has now grown into a solid waste management plan for the entire neighbourhood. While it has not been without its challenges and pitfalls, efforts of Residents of Kasturba Nagar Association (ROKA) has plenty to offer the rest of the city by means of setting an example. Kannan VC, one of ROKA’s founding members and office-bearers, says, “Initially, we ensured the segregated waste to be collected; arranged for Ramky (Enviro Engineers — GCC’s solid waste management partner) to pick up this waste by an exclusive vehicle — because we had sufficient quantity — and take it to the Saidapet or Guindy compost yard. The grand success of the effort was that more than a 1,000 kilograms of compostable waste was being deposited every day.”
For Thiruveedhi Amman Koil Street Residents Association (TAKSRA), waste segregation and management had been the key focus two years ago. It was then that they collaborated with Kabadiwalla Connect a waste management company that provides decentralised collection and processing solutions and mapped out a path for all their recyclables.
“Over the years, we put discipline in terms of segregation across the community. We tied up with Kabadiwalla that provided us with bins for the neighbourhood. We informed all the residents to use these, so that the day-to-day collection of plastic (and recyclable) waste will go there only; ensure that this doesn’t go to the landfill. And this model really worked because it was IoT-driven and it was regularly emptied. For residents, it became a convenient way to dispose of plastic,” details KL Balasubramanian of TAKSRA.
They also managed to get the corporation to set up an MRF (multiple resource facility) multiple bins for multiple purposes at the neighbourhood park. Anyone from the community can deposit segregated waste here, instead of relying on door-to-door collection or resorting to dumping it along the road or on empty ground. On the biodegradable waste front, TAKSRA introduced its community to composting constructing the pits in one building after another, helping people set it up on smaller scales on their terrace or backyard when necessary, and offering guidance and support as required.
“We maintain that on a common basis. We also have a dedicated gardener who checks on the bins. On an average, we get easily 200 kg of manure every two months and we use it for gardening in our neighbourhood. At Kasturba Nagar, the Corporation arranged compost wells in the land near the railway station, allowing for excess waste to go there.
Efforts towards e-waste
Both residents associations attend to e-waste, too, through collection drives and weekly transfers.
While they have made big strides in bringing in sustainable solutions, the going has not been easy, they report. At Kasturba Nagar, reluctant residents took to blaming the house help for poor compliance. “Our volunteers used to go along with the door-to-door collectors, inspect the bins and take pictures. If there were minor violations, they would fix it themselves; if not, they would not collect the waste and inform the association. Initially, the standard excuse was “our maids are not complying”. During the lockdown, it turned out to be “the maids are not coming, so we’re not able to do it”. People’s mindset is like that. But once we explain the process, when they know that it’s going to the right place after the segregation, they are willing to do it,” explains Kannan.
Incentive schemes can also work to get more people invested in the effort, suggests Vamsi, after having seen success in offering maavu thooku for residents who earned a certain number of points through their waste management efforts. This way, not only did the project move forward, they were able to reduce the participants’ plastic print too.
The other side of compliance being able to provide services regularly — is one of the key challenges for citizen initiatives, points out Vamsi. “We (CAG) did a project in Green Visla. We provided the services and made the community participate those who needed a job were taken in as waste collectors or conservancy workers for that area. And it worked quite well. It’s about when you provide the service and that it’s regular,” he says, adding that this is missing with the corporation’s efforts.
Help from authorities
But, the corporation has managed to offer help and services to these self-sustained communities, as per their needs. While large-scale replication of these efforts still evade the city as a whole, there’s still room for communities to reach out to the Corporation and get the work going for their neighbourhood, suggests Vamsi. “You can start by talking to your local Corporation officials to see what are your duties and what you can do. Then talk to your residents about these duties. If you don’t have the waste management facilities, you can always reach out to the corporation,” he says.
While micro-level initiatives are important, it needs to come with official support, says Balasubramanian. “We need authorities’ enforcement. We can only educate or preach, we can’t enforce. That’s why we are constantly seeking support from the officials. For example, nothing is being done about bulk waste generators (who don’t comply to rules),” he points out. The Corporation still insists on source segregation across the city; door-to-door collection services can be denied over non-compliance. If you find your waste management routine interrupted by careless neighbours or unreliable services, it’s probably time to take a leaf out of the stories of these associations and do it yourself.
Points for management
Incentive schemes can also work to get more people invested in the effort, suggests Vamsi, after having seen success in offering maavu thooku for residents who earned a certain number of points through their waste management efforts.