Here is a relevant, positive, can-do example from a small town in Tamil Nadu who has done what every small town and village can : and it all started with small beginnings. Indian Express, Wed 30 May 2012 http://www.indianexpress.com/news/pammal-cuts-its-waste-community-at-work/955377/0 Pammal cuts its waste: Community at work by Isher Judge Ahluwalia
Segregating dry garbage from wet, and recycling much of it Pammal is a small town in Kancheepuram district of the state of Tamil Nadu, with resident population of 85,000 and a floating population of 15,000. This little town, less than half-an- hour’s drive from the Chennai international airport, made a transition from a town panchayat to a municipality only in 2005, but it has shown what community action can do to solve the problem of solid waste management. Like any other city or town in India, Pammal suffered from garbage, put out by households, rotting in unattended dustbins, and spilling over on to the streets and pavements. Since Pammal has no underground sewerage system and the municipality has been constructing open storm water drains on both sides of the roads/ lanes in recent years, the problems of managing solid waste are compounded by the absence of the infrastructure for managing liquid waste. In 1993, a group of middle-class women in Ward #1 of Pammal decided to take charge of their physical surroundings. They decided to buy a cycle rickshaw for collecting garbage from the 260 households in their ward for delivery at the roadside dustbins, and charged the households Rs 10 per month for the service. When residents living near these dustbins objected, the group decided to minimise waste by recycling a major part of it. They started segregating kitchen waste from the rest and used the former to make compost under a tree in Danvantri garden. This would mean less garbage at the roadside bins and less work for the local authorities to move this from the dustbins and arrange for its disposal. In 1994, they formed a Self-Help Group (SHG) and received some land as donation from the Sankara Eye Hospital so that their composting work could expand. With a loan of Rs 40,000 from a bank, they put up a vermicomposting shed and began the process of converting waste into wealth. This was before 2000 when the Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Management and Handling Rules were first announced by the Government of India, requiring (i) daily house-to-house collection of segregated waste, and (ii) recycling and composting to minimise disposal in landfills. ……….continued http://www.indianexpress.com/news/pammal-cuts-its-waste-community-at-work/955377/0 From: Ashley Delaney <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> Reply-To: "[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>" <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> Date: Thu, 31 May 2012 23:10:48 +0530 To: "[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>" <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> Subject: [SALIGAONET] Plastic clean-up drive June 3rd Dear Lovers of Saligao, Continuing on the momentum of the first plastic drive on the 26th of January of this year, a second drive just before the onset of the monsoon is planned to rid the village of as much plastic waste as possible before nature does its washing act. When: Sunday June 3rd at 9:30 am Where: Saligao Panchayat starting point What do I get along: Clean cement bags if possible to collect *plastic waste only*, Water bottles, caps/sunglasses are suggested. shirts and banners will be provided. Note - this drive is to collect the Plastic waste only and NOT garbage. Given the huge task ahead of us, this time the group intends to focus on just the four main arterial roads of the village that divide it into 4 equal parts. Once again the ANHC has come forward in their usual optimistic style and generously donated garbage bags and plastic gloves that will be used during collection. A well wisher has come forward and generously sponsored some vegetable samosas for the volunteers. Yet another well-wisher has come forward and will bring along "tetra packed" refreshment drinks which will be taken away by yours truly at the end of the drive for recycling separately. the AYS (Adarsh yuvak sangh) of which Eknath the sarpanch is also the president has previously donated T-Shirts for use for the drive. The plastic collected on this day will be taken away for baling and incineration at ACC's factory in Karnataka. This initiative has been backed by village individuals coming together with a vision of a better tomorrow for saligao. It is NOT a political initiative or driven by the panchayat - even though this drive has been largely put together by the now sarpanch of Saligao - Eknath oraskar in his personal capacity. On this day also, we intend to form smaller "ward level" committees which can meet locally and take this message to the people. This should ideally than be ratified at the gram sabha. Once again we appeal to people to come out from their homes, go for an earlier mass on Sunday so that you can be available for this drive and come join us, be a part of mission clean up saligao as we set in motion a larger plan for the next year - that of education , segregation and recycling - culminating in a dream of a clean Saligao Village. I would also like to take this opportunity to personally convey my thanks to Eknath for his initiative and zeal to take this up on a larger scale on the panchayat level. Eknath has also indicated that he will revive the garbage drive from the panchayat end the following Sunday. However, given the lack of funds available with the panchayat, we have requested that this issue (of funding and garbage) to be figured prominently in the next gram sabha. -- Kind regards Ashley Delaney Keep goa Ewaste free - contact us now to know what YOU can do. www.grouptenplus.com/computers.html<http://www.grouptenplus.com/computers.html> Devine Computers Abreovaddo, Saligao, Bardez, Goa. Ph: 9823118321 / 9325064278 -- Saligao-Net is at http://groups.google.com/group/saligao-net To post to this group, send email to [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> To unsubscribe email [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> ________________________________ ***The information transmitted is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged material. 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