1/18/2015

GreenthumbsupTheHindu

CitiesChennai
Greenthumbsup
GEETAPADMANABHAN

RECYCLE, REUSE, REDUCE: Green friends of Hand-in-Hand at work and the project site
EnvironmentHandinHand,theMamallapurambasedsolidwastemanagementmovementisamongthe12finalistsfortheBBCWorld
ChallengeAward.GeetaPadmanabhanreports

DrivedownECRadecadeago:Cleanroads,theseatotheleft,scenicroute.Crankdownthewindows!Bendthebreeze!
Now:Lookatthegarbageman,raisetheglass!ThankgodforAC,andwhereisthesea?
ButthescenechangesdramaticallywhenyoureachMamallapuram,thankstoHandinHand,aprofessionallyrun
organisationthatspecialisesintotalsolidwastemanagement(SWM).InJanuary2008,HiHsetfootinthishistoric
butnowgonecommercialcitywithacomprehensiveSWMprojecttomakeitclean,bankingontheirexperiencein
communityworktoensuresuccess.
Onourdrivetotheprojectsite,assistantprojectdirectorParisuthamdetailsthebattleplan.Westartedwiththree
greenfriends'(fordoortodoorcollection,segregation,wasteprocessing)inonewardcovering380households,and
byJune2010wetouched10wardswithnearly3,600establishmentsincludingsmallbusinesses.Onanaveragefour
metrictonnesofwasteiscollecteddaily,outofwhichnearly60percentisprocessed.Thegreen(kitchen,garden)
wasteisconvertedintobioandvermicompostinaconstructedforthepurposecompostpark.Recyclablewasteis
segregatedintoplasticbottles,aluminiumfoil,rubberproducts,plasticcarrybags,metalandglassproductsandsoldto
respectiverecyclers.

Howitworks
HiHofficialscallameetingofelectedofficials,SHGmembersandstudentrepresentativestoexplaintheplan.After
theokay,wesignanMoUwiththelocalgovernment,saysShivaKrishnamurthy,projectdirector.Werecruitgreen
friend,flagoffoperationswithamasscleaningdrive.Collectionindifferentbinsstartsat6a.m.Ifyou'renot
willingtosegregate,greenfriendsdoitinfrontofthehouse.Itisthentransportedtotheparkforconversion.The
localgovernmenthelpswithinfrastructuresuchasvehiclesandtractorstocollectgarbage.Theyalsogiveusfinancial
support.HiHchargesauserfeeandraisesfundstofillthegaps.Theprojectgeneratesemploymentandeventually
paysforitself.
WebeganSWMinMamallapuramin2008,saysShiva.Wedidintensivecampaigningforabanonplasticcarry
bags,distributedpamphletstotourists,putupboardsinshopsandpublicplaces.Wepersuadedshopstosponsorcloth
bagsfordistribution,promotedpapercups.AfteratriptoKanyakumariwheretheplasticbanhasbeensuccessfully
enforced,membersgavethenod:disposableplasticswillgo.TheTownPanchayatsignalleditssupport.
Withnearlyathousandeateries,Mamallapuramthrowsawaymoundsofcookedfood.Itsmellsfoulwhenitrots,
informsParisutham,movingtothebiogasidea.HiHgot2.02acresoflandallotted,sourced45percentofthefunds
fromSIDA,(SwedishInternationalDevelopmentAgency)throughTillvaxtverketandbuiltthecircular100cubicmetre
biogasplantintheparkcomplexfundedbyADB.Here,everymorning,some1,000kgofleftoverfoodismixedwith
http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Chennai/article2582714.ece

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1/18/2015

GreenthumbsupTheHindu

waterata1:1ratio,stirred,groundandpumpedintothemassivedigester.Thegasholderfloatinginawatertubsoon
fillswithmethanegasandhelpsproduce10kwpowerthrougha12.5KVAgeneratorrunexclusivelyonbiogas.The
preciouselectricitylightstheentirecomplexandtheslurryspeedsupbiocomposting.
Safelytransported,methanegascanbeusedforcookingandlighting.Itcanrunagenset.Bottledgascanbesoldto
householdsandrestaurants.Peoplearewelcometotourtheplace,saysParisutham.HiHknewtheyhadagoodthing
goinganddecidedtoapplyfortheBBCWorldChallengeAward.Ournominationwasamongthe640chosenfrom
acrosstheworld,saysaproudShiva.TheBBCsentavideodocumentationteam,whichlefthighlyimpressedwithour
biogasplant.Nowwe'reoneofthe12finalistswhowillbevotedfortoreachthetopthree.ThisistheonlyIndian
projectshortlistedforthe2011contest.
Votingontheproject(TrashtoGas)startedonSeptember26andyoucanvotetillNovember11.OnNovember29,the
topthreenominationswillberankedbyaDutchjuryandallthreewillgetcashawards.Ifwewin,wecanestablisha
completelyselfsupportingbiogasbottlingplantwhichwillfacilitatesaleofbottledgas.Theawardwillbringwaste
managementtocentrestage,throwingthelightonanimportant,butoftenneglectedaspectofourlives.
TheawardwillmakeMamallapuramretainitsgloryandconverttheprojectintoasustainableenterprise,saysCEO
KalpanaSekar,whogaveupagovernmentjobtoheadHiH.ItisreplicableacrossIndia.Thisprojectiseverythingfor
me.
Keywords:solidwastemanagement,BBCWorldChallengeAward,EnvironmentHandinHand,

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Chennai/article2582714.ece

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