Nineteen students from six colleges recently completed a unique one-month paid internship programme in solid waste management. Initiated by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in association with the Greater Chennai Corporation, the ‘Swachh Bharath Mission (Urban) Tulip’ internship was aimed to engage youth in efforts to address challenges relating to solid waste management in the urban milieu and also raise awareness about job opportunities in the waste management sector.
Ten students from Bhaktavatsalam Memorial College for Women in Korattur took part in the internship programme. The college went a step ahead, honouring these students at an event organised by the Sustainability and Environment Cell and Students’ ExNoRa.
“The ten students are across departments and part of NSS. They signed up for the internship after I shared a message about it that was being circulated by Exnora International,” says KJ Umadevi, convenor, Sustainability and Environment Cell, Bhaktavatsalam Memorial College for Women.
Students fanned across zones and studied the workaday processes of waste management. They made field visits to dump yards, material recovery facilities and to homes that compost waste. An animator assisted each of the students who also visited schools to conduct awareness sessions.
“These students have learnt a lot and we will have them take sessions for other students in the college,” says Umadevi.
Students from Agni College of Technology, Dr MGR Educational and Research Institute, Loyola College, Anna University-BIT Campus – Trichy and Thanthai Periyar Government Institute of Technology in Vellore also took this internship. Each student received a stipend of ₹5000.
“We received 50 applications through the AICTE Internship Portal where this programme was announced and only 19 turned up for the interview,” says TG Srinivasan, nodal officer, Swachh Bharath Mission, GCC.
With regard to the next batch of this programme, Srinivasan says the decision has to be taken by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
“This is a great initiative to catch them young as such programmes give them a better understanding of the challenges faced in every city to manage waste and the role they can play,” he says.
A few months ago, GCC launched the young ambassador programme where students are given a ‘Swachh ambassador card’. “They educate their immediate neighbours about segregating waste, and with card they are better respected,” says Srinivasan, who is also the Health Education Officer.
