ROKA collected e-waste, books, toys, divine pictures, unbroken glassware, pillows and mattresses, clothes, bags and footwear, at the event. The event was organised by Urban Ocean in partnership with ROKA and recyclers – Wasted 360 Solutions and Recycle Mart. It was conducted across three locations – Adyar (by ROKA), Thiruvanmiyur (By residents of Dr.Radhakrishnan Nagar,  Malaviya Avenue, Sivakamipuram and Marundeeswarar Nagar) and Velachery (On Axis Green Consulting Pvt. Ltd.). Seven communities from across the city also joined the drive by collecting the items at their venues as well. The communities are: Radiance Mercury (Perumbakkam), Ceedeeyes (Velachery), Jains Sasvat (Adambakkam), Ceebros 174 (MRC Nagar), Trellis (Vadapalani), Kottur Gardens (Kotturpuram), Karpagam Garden (Adyar).

The event also hosted sustainable counters: Miracle Enzyme displayed bio-enzymes; Nilayaan showcased their composting options; Vaishnavi Venkatesh, a resident of Kamaraj Avenue set up a counter to start a ‘Swap not Shop’ group, where interested people can post about their requirements (especially for trendy clothes) or items that they want to give out. 

The Environmentalist Foundation of India (EFI) also stationed the ‘Lakes on Wheels’ to raise awareness about water pollution and the necessity to save our water reserves. 

The highlight of the event however was the street play put up by FEETS and a skit composed, directed and performed by the children of Kasturba Nagar, which highlighted the necessity of adopting solid waste management (SWM) in our lives and burst the myths associated with it. Contact ROKA at 86674 99135; roka.drives@gmail.com, to know more about the drive and get further notification about such drives happening in the city.

The Urban Ocean program, run jointly by Ocean Conservancy, Resilient Cities Network and The Circulate Initiative, is actively combating plastic pollution using a blend of upstream and downstream strategies. They collaborate with stakeholders from diverse sectors including construction, technology, education, environmental management, and the informal waste sector. Launched in 2020, the program partners with 12 cities across Asia and Latin America, aiming to pioneer effective solutions to the global challenge of plastic pollution.

During the Urban Ocean Conclave, held from June 18 to 20, delegates from countries as far as Costa Rica, Argentina, Chile, Thailand and Indonesia participated, apart from domestic representation from Karnataka, Mumbai, Pune and Surat.

On June 18, The event was graced by Supriya Sahu, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary (Environment Climate Change & Forests). She explained the various efforts taken by the government of Tamilnadu to protect the environment: Green cover mission, Coastal mission, Climate change mission, Wetlands mission etc.

On June 19, Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner, Dr.J.Radhakrishnan, IAS, appreciated the efforts of the Urban Ocean programme and stated that such summits were essential to brainstorm and come up with ideas to combat plastic pollution. “Despite the concept of reduce and reuse, there has been an increase in the per capita garbage generated in the city from 500 gms in the year 2000 to 750 gms per household now. It is time to look for holistic integrated waste management systems to combat these issues and I am sure that we can come up with such ideas in such summits,” he stated.

On both days, experts shared their experiences and the possible way forward. Representatives also showcased their best practices that have yielded results and the challenges that need addressing. The key highlight was, however, the pilot visit to the neighbourhood of Kasturba Nagar, held on June 20.

Residents of Kasturba Nagar Association (ROKA) has collaborated effectively with Okapi Research and Advisory (IIT Madras incubated) to spearhead comprehensive waste management initiatives, through the We Segregate Project. Together, they have implemented innovative strategies to promote sustainability and environmental responsibility within the community. Their partnership not only addresses waste management challenges but also educates residents on the importance of recycling and reducing their carbon footprint. By fostering community engagement and leveraging expertise from these organisations, ROKA continues to make significant strides in creating a cleaner and greener environment for all residents of Kasturba Nagar.

The day began at the KNRA hall with the nearly 40 delegates welcomed with flowers and kamarkattu. After a short introductory video highlighting the local area, providing context for our visit, the visitors explored the locality to understand its sustainable waste management practices. The visit aimed to foster knowledge exchange and inspire similar initiatives in different urban settings facing similar challenges.

The delegation got to see the different types of lane composters installed in the locality. Visitors were impressed by the meticulous maintenance of the composters and the collaborative efforts of the community. Their enthusiasm stemmed from observing how these methods effectively managed organic waste, fostering admiration for the cooperative spirit and dedication to sustainable practices within the vicinity. They also visited several apartments in the neighbourhood to experience a terrace kitchen garden and understand effective techniques to implement source segregation. 

The ‘Punch the Plastic’ (PTP) initiative was implemented as the plastic component of the We Segregate Project. The concept involves installing sharp curved hooks on apartment walls specifically designed to collect low-grade single-use plastic waste. “It is a challenge for each household to collect sufficient quantities of such plastics and give it to an aggregator. With the PTP initiative, we can collect in bulk and give it directly to the aggregators,” highlighted P.Saranya, Treasurer of ROKA. 

As the event concluded, the participants were served regional delicacies in steel cutlery and asked to wash their hands rather than using tissue paper, making it a zero-waste event. To ensure a lasting impact, everyone also participated in a fun sustainability quiz, so one might ponder on the choices we make every day towards saving our environment.

During the feedback session that followed the visit, representatives from other cities expressed genuine admiration for the management practices observed. One of them stated, “Having visited last October, I’ve seen significant improvements since then. I’m quite envious but eager to implement these techniques in my own country.” The event served as a platform for mutual learning and inspiration, fostering a sense of solidarity in tackling waste management issues through practical and innovative solutions. ROKA can be contacted at roka.drives@gmail.com.

• An online session on the topic ‘Gender Responsive Drought Resilience’, by guest speaker Dr.Anushya Jagannathan, a research scientist, who elucidated sustainable practices.
• A flower garden was set up inside WIA’s premises at R.A.Puram, by the President and members. 
• Yellow cloth bags were distributed to the public at T.Nagar with the insistence to replace plastic bags.
• An online essay competition was conducted and cash awards were given to Keerthana, Mishra, Esther Monica and Shanmuga Priya.
• 500 people participated in a signature campaign and pledged to not use any kind of plastic. The signatures will be handed over to the Minister for Environment, Tamil Nadu with a request to stop the plastic production.
• A 2 km walkathon was organised highlighting the theme ‘Our Land Our Future’.
• A human chain was formed, at Adyar, to create awareness of plastics and zero landfills.
• A seminar was conducted with the theme ‘The need to protect our land’.
• A seminar was conducted at MGR Home and Hr.Sec School, for 60  teachers and B.Ed teacher trainees. Dr.Sudhakar – Director of CPR Environmental Education Centre explained about the state of our environment and key issues like environmental degradation, depletion of resources etc. 
• A waste collection drive was arranged along with ROKA (Residents of Kasturba Nagar Association) to collect e-waste, plastic, paper and clothes. Approximately 360 kg of waste was collected.

On the concluding day (June 8), nearly 104 women participated in the event, where four women who were committed to keeping the land clean and green, were honoured. Dr.Muthukumar – Programme Officer (Department of Environment and Climate Change), was the chief guest. He insisted all to grow plants to improve biodiversity and reduce temperatures.

President Padma Venkataraman honoured the green warriors of Chennai and also insisted that everyone focus on the micro change that everyone can bring in to save the Earth – from saying no to plastics and aiming for zero landfills. WIA can be contacted at 91769 28485, 94442 51013.

Residents of Kasturba Nagar Association (ROKA) conducted their 8th edition of the waste collection drive on Jan.6 and 7 at the Kasturba Nagar Residents Association Hall and Chennai High School, Kamaraj Avenue, Adyar.

Like the earlier edition, this edition too showcased new ideas for sustainability at the venues. “Apart from collecting waste, ROKA feels that we also must showcase alternatives so people are aware of them and contribute to reducing plastics,” said Janani Venkitesh, Secretary of ROKA, as she introduced the refill truck concept, thrift store and ‘Nilayaan’ a sustainability solutions provider for kitchenware and composting.

ROKA partnered with Wasted 360 Solutions, Recycle Mart and Bisleri for the drive and collected clothes (including undergarments), e-waste, pens, empty tablet strips, X-rays, footwear, mattresses & pillows, toys and books, bags, glassware, hard and soft plastics and pictures of deities. Wasted 360’s refill truck was a unique concept that offered handwash, detergent, floor cleaner and dishwashing soaps to interested people, with a catch that they bring their own bottles. “The basic concept is to reduce plastics. These liquid soaps always come in plastic containers, thus with the refill truck, we are giving an option to people to bring their own container and refill the soaps,” explained Janani.

The thrift store displayed many fabulous dresses apart from books and toys. While the book genres ranged from fiction to children to management, toys included Mindbender games, puzzles and collectables like the Quidditch ball from the Harry Potter series.

Nilayaan too gave an overview of the available sustainable kitchenware – cutlery, bowls, glasses, toothbrushes and flasks. “Coconut shells are not biodegradable. Due to their enhanced shelf-life, they can make amazing bowls and glasses,” explained Deepesh as he also showed a variety of composters – for apartments and homes, apart from another specifically for pooja flowers.

The two-day drive was packed with not only individuals bringing in their waste but also institutions that gave away products – a catering company gave away more than a hundred porcelain plates and saucers, a boutique gave away clothes and a hotel gave away cartons of glass bottles. Other items that came in were: iron tables, CRT TVs, washing machine drums, bestseller books including the Asterix and Oblix series and Tintin series etc. 

Some of the residence communities, like CeeDeeYes Velachery, Karpagam Gardens and Nawab Gardens collected waste in their locality and sent it through logistics providers. The event saw a footfall of more than 400 people and collected around 10 tonnes of waste. 

At the event, representatives from Bisleri also recognised ROKA members for their efforts in the ‘Punch the Plastic’ initiative. ROKA has partnered with Okapi Research and Advisory (an IIT Madras incubated company) and Bisleri to collect single-use plastic and multi-layer plastic (MLP), from residents of Kasturba Nagar, for recycling. The initiative was started on Oct 11 and till December mid, the neighbourhood collected 21 kgs of plastic. 

ROKA thanked all the participants, the Corporation and the volunteers from Loyola College’s MSW department, for their support.

Two gaily painted tiltable bins were stationed in the school in an event on Oct.21, which was attended by distinguished Rotarians, the school Principal, parents, students and corporation officials.

At the event, students were requested to bring waste and were given guidance on how to segregate waste in the different bins. The students also painted the school’s compound walls with murals advocating for a cleaner and greener environment. 

The venue also featured a ‘Happy Earth Selfie Booth’, which was the cynosure of all eyes. Attractive plant holders that were created from broken and discarded benches were showcased. A street-play by the students on the topic was the highlight of the day. 

A press release from the school stated, “This Streetscape initiative is an activity in progress, as we ‘Give a Clean Sweep To The Pretty Streets’. It turned out to be a happy occasion, setting an example of school and neighbourhood partnership to create a positive green impact in our society!”

It was a fulfilling engagement ceremony for M.A.Ramya and Bharatram. They pledged their support not only for each other, but also for the environment – with a near zero-waste ceremony.

Steel tumblers replaced water bottles and paper tea cups, no paper cups or tissue papers, and unbleached cotton bags for thamboolam, were some of the small changes that parent couple Dr.K.R.Hema and Dr.Thirunarayan, from Kasturba Nagar, incorporated.

Packaged drinking water has evolved as a symbol of eliteness, cleanliness and convenience. “But what’s the guarantee that the packaged water is from a clean source? About 10-15 years back, everyone was fine drinking water from the tumbler,” explains Dr.Hema. What drove them to pursue the near zero-waste ceremony was, “That’s how it should be, meant to be! When we ask for blessings on such occasions, why leave Mother Nature out and abuse it by using disposables?”

So what were the changes incorporated?

1. No usage of paper cups: The family hired tumblers from the Namma Ooru Foundation’s (NOF) Cutlery Bank to serve beverages and water.
2. No cups for desserts: Desserts were served on banana leaf itself instead of in cups. The parent couple consciously chose desserts that weren’t runny and could be served and enjoyed on the banana leaf itself.
3. No usage of tissue paper: People dug out their handkerchiefs from the depths of their pockets and handbags to wipe their hands.
4. No decorative fancy nameboards: The attendees were welcomed by an artistically drawn announcement of the event on a blackboard and not by a fancy name board. The board itself was lent by a friend from Kasturba Nagar.
5. No fancy decoration: All decorations were done with flowers that were strung on cotton thread.
6. Left-over food was sent to NGOs. The food waste and flowers were sent for composting.
7. Cloth bags for Tamboolam: The guests were given tamboolam in unbleached cotton cloth bags. Also, it contained whole manjal (turmeric) and betel nut (gundu manjal and kottai pakku) instead of its packets.

A long list indeed needing meticulous planning! “Yes, it does require planning right now, but once it becomes a way of how things need to be done, it won’t be a ‘task’,” explains Dr.Hema as she delves into the nitty gritty of how it all took shape.

Both the families are passionate about waste management and decided to ensure that minimal waste goes to the landfills. “There were many doubts, and scepticism, but because we were committed, things just fell in place,” says Dr.Hema. The caterer and the hall owners were cooperative and were ready to incorporate any change needed for a near zero-waste event. “To compensate for the lack of tumblers with the caterers, we hired tumblers from the cutlery bank. We have to book it in advance and return them in the same condition we got them – cleaned, wiped and dried. The caterers washed and handed them over at the end of the event, and we wiped and dried them at home before returning them,” she adds.

What was the reaction from the attendees? Any embarrassing situations? “I don’t think they missed any of it. Initially, we were worried about the quality of the tumblers. To our surprise, we found them to be as good as new. Everyone enjoyed the food. Good food is important, the disposables are just frivolities that are not missed. There was no fuss in drinking from tumblers; those who didn’t carry handkerchiefs used their sarees / dupattas / pant pockets etc., for wiping,” Dr.Hema explains with a smile.

This ceremony was the second near-zero waste family event from Kasturba Nagar. In 2018, V.C.Kannan and Jayashree Kannan, conducted a near zero-waste wedding of their daughter Samyukta. 

“It was something new at that time, but we were committed to do it,” says Kannan. They coordinated with the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) and the waste aggregator of that time to train the staff of the wedding hall, caterers and others involved, on how to segregate waste. They too used steel tumblers for serving beverages, areca plates and bagasse cups for some of the edibles and decorated the venue only with natural flowers, all of which could be composted later. The decorations also included palm hand-fans (visiri), which were subsequently given to the attendees as return gifts.

“We wanted to ensure that most of the waste generated is compostable. We segregated areca plates and bagasse cups, since GCC has a different Micro Composting Centre (MCC) for them and they thus need to go to that specific MCC. Therefore it was very essential to train all those employed / involved in the wedding to understand the nitty-gritty of waste management.”

If it was something new at that time, how did you convince the caterers about the change? “ Many do not agree, as this effort is labour intrinsic, but we were fortunate, as both – the caterer and the hall owners readily agreed. However, in an era when people are ready to spend insanely on weddings, a little more to a good cause shouldn’t matter. But one must be assertive and persistent on the intent,” says Kannan. Dr.Hema says, “Many don’t mind spending thousands on sarees and such, but will think twice to spend on a good cause. There has to be a mind-shift – loosen the pocket, just a bit, to save nature, and tighten it just a bit, when purchasing clothes / jewellery.”

Both Dr.Hema and Kannan are part of Residents of Kasturba Nagar Association (ROKA), which has been on the forefront of implementing solid waste management practices in the locality. All events conducted by ROKA are zero-waste. “At all our meetings, no packaged beverages or packed snacks are allowed. However big the gathering, we serve snacks on areca plates and beverages in steel tumblers, which we pool in from our houses,” explains Janani Venkitesh, Secretary of ROKA. In the latest event of the inauguration of a lane composter, ROKA served coconut water to all attendees, without a straw. The inauguration itself was not a ribbon cutting ceremony, but a garland cutting ceremony.

Janani also shares some of the practices that she and her team follows, every time they step out of the house. “We ALWAYS carry an extra cloth bag, a water bottle, tumbler, spoon, dabba and multiple handkerchiefs. We refuse the bottled water served at events, including weddings, and drink from our own bottle. We carry a dabba to put in edible items that we prefer to eat later,” explains Janani.

Kasturba Nagar has shown the way to how events without using disposables need not be messy and still maintain the charm. Many leaves from the solid waste management (SWM) book that  one can implement!Dr.Hema can be contacted at hemathirunarayan@gmail.com; V.C.Kannan can be contacted at 98410 18301; ROKA can be contacted at roka.drives@gmail.com.

Cutlery Bank by NOF

Namma Ooru Foundation (NOF), Thiruvanmiyur, launched its Cutlery Bank in April 2019, providing an option for people to hire steel cutlery for events, instead of opting for disposables. The bank has a stock of 200 numbers each of two varieties of: tiffin plates, cups, spoons and tumblers to rent for parties, functions in Chennai. The cutlery has to be booked at least two days in advance.

“This will result in lesser load to landfills in the form of disposables and will also indirectly contribute to water conservation as the demand for paper cups goes down. Yes, a lot of water is used in the manufacture of these cups. More than what will be required to maintain these stainless steel cutlery,” says P.Natarajan, Founder of NOF.

Now going a step further, NOF is also ready to take the compostable waste from events – big and small. The green compostable waste will be taken to the Pudupet MCC to convert it into black gold. 

“Banana leaves, flowers, vegetable and fruit peels, cooked food waste, bagasse products etc. can be bagged separately and delivered to the MCC in Pudupet for processing. There is a processing fee involved depending on the weight of the waste. 

The processing requires labour as the flower garlands will have to be manually taken apart before shredding, so that the thread doesn’t get stuck in the blades. Food waste and raw peels will need to be layered with cocopeat (to absorb moisture) so it doesn’t stink by the time it reaches the MCC. To make sure this is done properly and to oversee the bagging of all the organic matter, NOF volunteers can help,” explains Kavitha Sivakumar, a volunteer with NOF.

“Namma Ooru Namma Poruppu!” says NOF. To hire cutlery, reach Kavitha Sivakumar at 95662 60703.

An appeal by ROKA

In the midst of this festive season, members of ROKA appeal to all to shun any kind of single-use plastics even if it’s mentioned as biodegradable. “As we celebrate the Goddess this season, let’s not abuse her by using plastic items and not segregating, leading to more waste sent to landfills. Shunning plastics has to be at all levels – including not using the betel, turmeric and kumkum packet. Simply giving whole betel and turmeric is sufficient,” says Janani. 

A resident of Bhaktavatsalam Nagar, Adyar, recently reported to have found rangoli powder in the turmeric and kumkum boxes. Pointing to this instance, Janani adds, “We don’t know the authenticity of what is inside packed items, thus it is always better to go natural.”

Inaugurated by N.Mahesan, Chief Engineer (SWM and Mechanical), Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), and Councillor of Ward 173, Subashini Durai, each lane composter is built with a capacity to compost 750 kgs of wet waste each.

The composters, of size 4 ft * 3 ft, can process 20 – 25 kgs of wet waste per day from the three main roads of Kasturba Nagar – 2nd, 3rd and 4th Main Road.

Appreciating the concept, N.Mahesan asked the GCC officials to coordinate with the Urbaser Sumeet staff to vigorously propagate source segregation in the locality and ensure 100% segregation. “If this becomes a success, we would replicate this concept in other areas of the city as well,” he said.

“The concept of the lane composter is inspired by the model placed at HSR Layout, Bangalore, set up by SWM Round Table members. They explained to us about lane composting at a community level and shared their experiences and tips on how to sustain it,” said Janani Venkitesh, Secretary – ROKA. This project idea is part of a larger research proposal selected by NITI Aayog as one of the top 75 ideas to promote LiFE (Lifestyle For Environment), in March 2023.

There will be one composter for each street and the wet waste from the surrounding apartments / houses will be composted in it. A leaf composter has also been placed adjacent to this, to collect the dry leaves from the street, to be later used in the lane composter. The compost produced will be used by the adjacent houses for their gardens, said the team from ROKA. 

“These composters aim to divert around 2100 kg of wet waste per month, which is approximately 1% of the total biodegradable waste generated in the project area. The lane composters provide an opportunity for people to see first-hand the process of how waste turns into black gold. We hope that it also inspires more people to segregate waste and start composting in-house,” explained Janani.

In a unique gesture, the lane composters were inaugurated by cutting a garland strung in banana fibre, which won appreciations from all, “Now this too can be composted in the lane composter,” shared P.Saranya, Treasurer – ROKA, as she pointed out to a coconut vendor and said, “Instead of bottled and packaged snacks, we have bananas and coconut water for you, which you can drink without a straw or with the steel tumblers here.”

‘Punch the Plastic’ initiative inaugurated

On this occasion, N.Mahesan and Subashini Durai also inaugurated the ‘Punch the Plastic’ project in Kasturba Nagar, initiated by IIT Madras. Prof.Indumathi Nambi, Faculty advisor – Sustainable Campus Collective (IIT Madras) explained about the project, “As part of this project, selected apartments would have a hook placed in a common area within the compound and residents can punch and place the plastic waste, especially the MLP (multi-layer plastics). Once the hook is filled, it would be taken off and the plastic would be sent to industries for processing.”

MLP, according to the Central Pollution Control Board’s Plastic Waste Management – 2016 Rules, is any material used for packaging and having at least one layer of plastic as the main ingredients in combination with one or more layers of materials such as paper, paper board, polymeric materials, metalized layers, or aluminium foil, either in the form of a laminate or co-extruded structure. MLP is most commonly used in packaging chips, biscuits, chocolates, etc.

Also present at the occasions were officials from Zone 13, Ward 173, Urbaser Sumeet, and members of Okapi Research and Advisory and Care Earth Trust.

ROKA can be contacted at roka.drives@gmail.com.

The Platinum Certification indicates that the Institute demonstrated exceptional resource efficiency and environmental responsibility. This not only reduces operational costs but also conserves valuable resources. IIT Madras recorded an impressive score of 82 out of 90 points.

The ‘IGBC Green Campus’ is a rating system and certification program developed by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) to promote sustainable and environment-friendly practices in educational institutions and corporate campuses in India.

Solid waste incinerator

IIT Madras has also established a Solid Waste Incinerator facility with the capacity to process two tons of mixed waste per day that otherwise goes out for landfilling. Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, inaugurated the facility on Sept.19, demonstrating the Institute’s commitment towards achieving a sustainable ‘Zero Waste Discharge’.

With source segregation in place, at present, the institute generates about 4 tonnes of solid waste per day. The segregated organic waste is either composted or anaerobically digested in a digester of 1 tonne. Another biodigester of 2 tonne capacity is being constructed. The biogas generated is being used in the hostel sector for cooking. The inorganic waste is further segregated and sold to vendors for recycling. 

Despite this, about 300 to 400 kg/day of mixed waste is generated everyday, which was being sent to a landfill. With this facility, the campus will be a ‘Zero Waste Discharge campus. The facility can handle unsegregated wastes with up to 40% moisture content. It will be used to combust food/packaging wastes, partially consumed food wastes, cups, cardboard and big packaging boards and used beds/foams. By incinerating the mixed wastes, the Institute reduces around two tons of CO2-eq GHG emissions. The Institute benefits by reducing expenditure on waste disposal. In the near future, energy extraction is planned by either using a gas engine or by using a boiler and turbine system to produce power.

While the material gets transported from the waste bin to the shredder, the obvious, bigger metals and glass pieces are handpicked and sorted. The mixed organic/ food + plastic + cardboard + packaging wastes in the mixed form are combusted in the rotary kiln. The hot flue gases are cooled down using air in a cyclone unit.

This avoids the use of water to cool the gases. After the gases are cooled to <150°C, it is sent through a series of bag filters, wet scrubber and dry scrubber to bring the emissions within norms and finally let out. The ash collected from the Solid Waste Incinerator can be used for making bricks/construction. In effect, it is a zero-waste discharge unit.

The institute is also in the process of installing an energy recovery system from the incinerator.

Pattinapaaakkam’s Vinayagar Idol Immersion ceremony is a significant cultural tradition, often posing challenges in terms of waste management and environmental impact. The Urbaser Sumeet team, in coordination with local authorities, meticulously managed waste collection and disposal during the event. 

Their focus on recycling and sustainable practices has not only ensured the ceremony’s success but has also underscored the importance of environmental preservation.

As the crowd from across the city swooned to Pattinapaakkam for the immersion, the Urbaser Sumeet team was equipped with men and machines to guide everyone on what to do, how to do and why to do, so as to have minimal impact on the environment.

The team constantly reminded groups to separate garlands / flowers, clothes and support planks and hand it over to them. “Please do not pollute our oceans!” was also a constant plea conveyed through the megaphones.

“Items like flowers, clothes, planks and such need to be handled separately and by segregating them at the time of immersion, we can tackle the waste better. This will not only cause less pollution, but make beach cleaning more efficient,” said Hari Balaji, IEC, Urbaser Sumeet.

This environmental leadership demonstrated by Urbaser Sumeet at the Vinayagar Idol Immersion Ceremony exemplifies their dedication to integrating sustainability into their core values and operations. They also encourage others to prioritise environmental stewardship, paving the way for a more conscious and responsible society.

Post the immersion, many idols washed ashore, and the same was meticulously cleared by the Urbaser team. Dr.J.Radhakrishnan IAS, Commissioner of Greater Chennai Corporation, and Er.Mahesan, Chief Engineer (SWM) visited the venue and appreciated the dedication of the conservancy staff.

GCC had employed over 140 staff to sort out the vinayagar statues, about 50 of which, have not been fully immersed due to low tide or were washed ashore. These were immersed again on Aug.25. Earlier on Aug.24, over 1300 statues successfully immersed at the Pattinapaakkam Beach in coordination with volunteers and police. The team also removed the solid waste like flowers and wood blocks.

It was a day of learning for the children gathered at the ‘Re-connecting with Mother Nature’ event held at Adyar Theosophical Society, conducted by Madras Theosophical Federation and Vasanta Youth Lodge, on Aug.27.

The event had fun events for many children, followed by informative talks by experts including the Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner, Dr.J.Radhakrishnan, P.Natarajan – Founder of Namma Ooru Foundation and Prof.Indumathi Nambi – Professor in Civil Engineering Department at IIT Madras.

Nearly 50 children, many of them from Adyar Theosophical Academy (ATA), participated in the children’s workshop wherein they made posters and cloth bags on the theme of environment. The workshop was led by Upasika Maitreya, Yugesh and team.

The workshop had a variety of stalls selling natural products – cleaning agents (phenols, dishwashers, shampoos etc.), mattresses and pillows made of silk cotton (ilavam panju), cloth wipes, khadi dresses, items made of coconut shells, reusable sanitary products and much more.

Dr.J.Radhakrishnan has been vocal about the issues caused by improper waste management, through various social media handles. This event provided an opportunity for highlighting the issues of solid waste management, and  also present solutions, options and alternatives. 

He further called for empathy with the people working at the two dumpyards – Perungudi and Kodingayur. “Those people are humans too. Though technology has improved (for waste management), and more awareness and alternatives have come up, the efforts are still miniscule,” he added.

While pointing out that though nearly 70% of the city segregates waste, he said, “When each person is generating around 750 gms of garbage a day, is this sustainable? Should we all not join together and implement better practices to reduce waste generation?” While sharing information about the types of banned plastics, he stated that cleaning the beach has been an unending task, “The beach beyond this campus is cleaned everyday, still the very next day another ton of garbage washes ashore.”

The Commissioner also spoke of a 2 pronged approach to tackle plastic: (a) action on the petrochemical industries manufacturing plastics; (b) make eco alternatives more attractive.

“If we keep blaming each other, who will bell the cat? Tackling the Nagapattinam Tsunami disaster was possible because the government, NGOs and individuals worked complementing, not competing with each other. Similarly, we can avoid further disasters caused by waste, if we all work together and take responsibility for our waste,” said Dr.Radhakrishnan, Pointing to the various eco stalls, he stated, “Alternative solutions are here itself for us to implement. Let us become innovators or early adopters of sustainable practices.”

P.Natarajan explained to the audience about the effects of greenhouse gases and deforestation on our planet. He also explained about the greenhouse gases generated by unsegregated waste tied up in garbage bags, through anaerobic composting, “Imagine the amount of methane generated from our dumpyards. Pollution doesn’t only mean the smoke emitting from the chimneys of industries. This is too! We are directly contributing to climate change. To sort this issue, all we are asking you to do is sort and dispose differently – wet waste, recyclable waste, sanitary waste and e-waste. If we throw it all together, it is garbage; if it is thrown differently, it is a resource.” 

He explained the uses of segregating: wet waste converted to compost; recyclable waste is made into other useful products, e-waste components used to make new electronics and sanitary waste used to make paver blocks, “Many innovations have happened to make even used sanitary products into new items.”

Prof.Indumathi explained about the Earth Overshoot Day and that we had already used up the resource for the year and are currently borrowing resources from the future. Earth Overshoot Day marks the date when humanity’s demand for ecological resources and services in a given year exceeds what Earth can regenerate in that year. In 2023, it was on 2 August.

“Since Industrialisation, our dependence on non-renewable resources has increased exponentially and this is a very dangerous phenomenon. One must assess the carbon footprint of products while using it, including while constructing a building,” she added.

“Reusing refurbishing items can reduce the carbon footprint of articles. We must replace dumping of articles by the 7 R’s: Rethink and Redesign, Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repair / Refurbish, Recycle and Recover. With this, solid waste management would become resource management,” Prof.Indumathi explained.

Vinay Kumar Patri, the President of the Madras Theosophical Federation conducted the event and stated that they had planned road shows to further the cause of waste management. He also thanked Janani Venkitesh and P.Saranya from Residents of Kasturba Nagar Association (ROKA) for their help in organising the stalls. Tim Boyd, President of Theosophical Society of Adyar, also spoke. H.Sripriya presented vote of thanks.