The Hindu : Zero garbage efforts wasted at Valasaravakkam

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jan 18, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu-Chennai

Zero garbage efforts wasted at Valasaravakkam

By K. Manikandan

CHENNAI JAN. 17 . An urban local body has thrown cold water on the efforts of voluntary organisations working towards zero garbage in their localities, while creating serious doubts about its own decision to construct bins despite opposition from taxpayers.

Nearly two dozen organisations are engaged in door-to-door collection of garbage in the Valasaravakkam town panchayat and they charge between Rs. 15 and 25 a month. The garbage is segregated and while junk, which fetches a resale value is retained, the rest is handed over to the town panchayat, which dumps the garbage at just about any place, in the absence of a yard of its own.

However, one month ago, the council members passed a resolution for construction of two bins in each of 18 wards at a cost of Rs. 1.8 lakhs. Residents do not seem to be impressed with this proposal. Members of the Palaniappa Nagar Magalir Podu Nala Sangam said the bins were constructed despite the residents' vocal opposition. "All the while, we have sustained the door-to-door garbage collection and ensured clean streets, free from garbage," said one of the members.

The women said the local body was ill-equipped to deal with garbage collection, let alone segregation.

Among the 18 wards, the bins are not found in ward 4, as its councillor insisted that he did not need them. Santhanakrishnan, an independent, said his door-to-door collection covered every house and as the workers under the voluntary body in their association doubled up as "street beautifiers", they did not want the bins.

The difference between the streets in his ward and the rest of the panchayat is visible. While Cholan Street in his ward, for instance, is swept and maintained free from garbage, those elsewhere are in a mess.

With garbage littering the streets especially around the bins, residents feel disheartened that their sustained efforts have been defeated by a short sighted move.

Members of the voluntary organisations said they picked up garbage dumped even by those who were not members of the scheme. Citing instances, Mr. Santhanakrishnan said a number of persons, who were initially reluctant, joined the scheme later.

The residents complained that the bins constructed recently were of poor quality. A little force is sufficient for the plaster to crumble. They suspect that by this half-hearted approach, the town panchayat had played into the hands of vested interests.

However, authorities maintained that voluntary organisations' collection had its limitations and that several flats were left untouched, resulting in littering on either side of the streets. It was for this reason that they decided to go ahead with the construction of the bins.

The Chairman, V. Mathiazhagan, while admitting that the move went against the government plans of zero garbage, said they had little choice and the provision of bins, he hoped, would eliminate the problem of garbage swamping the streets.

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