he Sriperumbudur town panchayat in Kancheepuram district, which launched a comprehensive door-to-door collection of waste collection a year ago, has started a separate resource recovery park and other supportive solid waste management mechanisms.
The Directorate of Town Panchayats has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the NGO Hand in Hand in 2012-13 for collection, segregation and disposal of waste at a 10-acre site in Ramapuram near the town.
The solid waste management scheme has been provided Rs. 4.44 crore under Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme in Satellite Towns (UIDSST).
Forty new pushcarts for door-to-door collection of garbage and a lorry purchased under the UIDSST were being used, said Parimala Kumar, president of the town panchayat, which has a population of over 25,000. For every 150 homes, one pushcart has been provided, to remove segregated wastes to landfill.
M.J. Sampath, executive officer of the local body, said the 6,470 households in 15 wards generated 12 metric tonnes of waste.
Hand in Hand provides comprehensive solid waste management services such as garbage collection, sorting, transportation and disposal.
While the biodegradable garbage will be sent for composting, items such as paper, metal and plastic will be sent for recycling.
Since mobilising the community and getting their agreement to participate was a crucial part of the waste collection and disposal programme, awareness drives on waste management were conducted with the help of civic groups, Ms. Kumar added.
Sriperumbudur Town Panchayat
Kancheepuram district
Population: 25,336 (exclusive of floating population of 2,500/day)
Number of households: 6,470
Place: Ramapuram, Sriperumbudur
Area: 10 acres
Value of the project: Rs. 4.44 crore
Scheme: Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme in Satellite Towns
Number of wards: 15
Waste generation: 12 metric tonnes (MT)
Source segregation by door-to-door collection: 42 pushcarts
Staff: ULB 20 + 40 Hand in Hand
