The article “ >Time to put garbage on the table ” (May 18) talks vividly about the challenges faced in managing the huge quantity of garbage, especially in urban India. Our country does not lack the technologies for handling solid wastes. It is our mindset that needs to undergo a sea change. We should start viewing garbage as valuable resource/wealth, not just as waste.
People’s participation is important for any technology to succeed. They should separate garbage at source itself. Bio-degradable waste is rich in organic manure and needs to go back to the farms, after scientific processing. The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre has developed a proven technology, ‘Nisargruna,’ which has been successfully implemented in more than 150 places across the country. We get energy as a bonus during the eco-friendly treatment of ‘Nisargruna.’
J. Daniel Chellappa,
Chennai
The segregation of garbage at the micro level into food waste, items of resale value like newspapers, bottles, etc., biodegradable and non-biodegradable products should be made mandatory. Food waste disposal at origin should also be made mandatory.
One way to do this is to bury food waste (remember the good old days?) regularly. It is unfair to expect the state to be solely responsible for garbage disposal. Let us do our bit.
George Mammen,
Thrikakara
Pollution control and waste management are twin challenges confronted by virtually all countries. Electronic waste is a cause for global concern too. There is no facility in many government hospitals to treat medical waste by incineration or autoclaving. Industries dump garbage and filth that discharge toxic effluents. NGOs should create a new environmental ethos among people. New solutions that are environmentally appropriate and affordable are the need of the hour.
K. Suresh Babu,
Tiruchi
