Chennai: Waste Management

[Leo_r]

Can someone tell me how charactrers like these nalinis and shahs have suddenly become experts in India on waste mgt. Will they get into the field and start doing something with their hands to segregate ? Or are they just interested only in shining in front of media and desire to build up career rag pickers of few millions?

Mr Davidar, pl try to incinerate waste at 200 places one in each ward and put an end to these dump yards.

[anekho]

Plastic bitumen roads from Jan.

Chennai corporation would start re-laying roads with plastic and bitumen from the first week of January.

The corporation’s decision comes on instructions from chief minister J. Jayalalithaa to improve the quality of city roads and go for eco-friendly initiatives.

The plastic required for the herculean task will be mobilised by segregating the waste generated in Chennai, corporation sources said.

According to Ripon Buildings sources, the molten plastic would be mixed with bitumen and blue metal to form a fine layer.

The objective of using plastic is to make the top layer stronger to withstand the heavy wear and tear on city roads.

Most of the roads in Chennai do not withstand the monsoon due to high pressure on Chennai roads. In the bitumen component, 10 per cent of plastic will be added and the civic body is hoping for quality roads.

Besides, the move would also reduce the plastic waste generated in the city.

The corporation would install large bins at every divisional office to collect plastic from residents and industrial-grade shredders would be put up at 10 spots to reduce the plastic to pieces and then into molten state.

The roads to be re-laid have been identified and tenders have been already selected. The corporation, after expansion, has 515 bus route roads for a length of 501 km, besides about 17,000 interior roads.

The civic officials have sought technical help from Madurai Thiagarajar College of Engineering to include plastic content in the bitumen.

The city generates about an estimated 300 tonnes of plastic waste daily of the total 4,500 tonnes of solid waste and 10 per cent of plastic waste can now be recycled, sources said.

Source

[kannan infratech]

http://business-standard.net.in/indi...-rules/438474/

India gets first e-waste management rules

Piyali Mandal / New Delhi June 09, 2011, 0:19 IST

Putting the onus of re-cycling of electronic wastes (e-waste) on the producers, the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) has for the first time notified e-waste management rules.

The e-waste (management and handling) Rules, 2011 would recognise the producers’ liability for recycling and reducing e-waste in the country. The rules will come into effect from May 1, 2012.

Personal Computer manufacturers, mobile handset makers and white goods makers will be required to come up with e-waste collection centres or introduce ‘take back’ systems .

“These rules will apply to every producer, consumer and bulk consumer involved in manufacture, sale, purchase and processing of electronic equipment or components,” an environment ministry official said.

The ministry is giving the producers of electrical and electronic equipment a breathing period of one year to set up their collection centres.The rules will come under the Environment Protection Act (EPA).

India, at present, generates about 400,000 tonnes of e-wastes annually of which only 19,000 tonnes are getting recycled according to the recent data by hardware manufacturers association, Mait.

According to Mait, around 40 per cent of the unused and obsolete electronic products sit idle at homes, godowns and warehouses as one does not know what to do with it or there is no systematic mechanism to dispose it.

E-wastes are considered dangerous, as certain electronic components contain substances such as lead, cadmium, lead oxide (in cathode ray tubes), toxic gases, toxic metals, biologically active materials, acids, plastics and plastic additives. These substances are considered hazardous depending on their condition and density.

Under the new rules, producers will have to make consumers aware about the hazardous components present in the product. Also, instructions for consumers for handling the equipment after its use along with the do’s and don’t’s. They will also have to give information booklets to prevent e-waste from being dropped in garbage bins.

However, according to the rules, bulk consumers such as enterprises and government will be responsible for recycling of the e-wastes generated by them. The bulk users have to ensure that the e-waste generated by them is channelized to authorised collection centres or is taken back by the producers.

They also have to maintain records of e-wastes generated by them and make such records available with State Pollution Control Boards or the Pollution Control Committees.

The State Pollution Control Board will be required to prepare and submit to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) an annual report (based on the data received by consumers) with regard to implementation of these rules, by September 30 of every year.

On receiving which, the CPCB will have to prepare a consolidated annual review on management of e-waste and forward it to the government along with its recommendations by December 30 of every year.

[Leo_r]

Atleast, in TN Govt should encourage repair and reuse of Electronic Products to minimise generation of waste. Use and throw policy of developed Nations is bad for environment.

Chinese use inferior grade components in many products and limit their life to few years and by producing goods at very cheap price, they encourage "use and throw" policy of the world.

Govt should set up 'Repair shops' by encouraging unemployed skilled people ,well trained in Electronic products to offer service at reasonable cost.

Most products fail in their input voltage control circuit due to our inconsistant Electricity supply and can be easily set in order by fixing few new components.

[nambi83]

http://www.kuppathotti.com/index.php


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[anekho]

How pollution mounts sweeping attack on city

An IIT-Madras study suggests that roads be swept and watered to bring down amount of dust

Zipping across the city on his two-wheeler and meeting clients is part of his job. But in the process, 27-year-old D.Bharathi, a marketing executive, says he feels suffocated while waiting at traffic intersections. “A few of my colleagues use handkerchiefs and the overcautious even use masks. At signals, especially during rush hour, it is like getting trapped inside a gas chamber, the fumes give a headache, nausea... I wouldn't want to take in such polluted air. But what is the alternative? ,” he asks.

Though two-wheeler riders and pedestrians are exposed to dust, most pay scant attention to it. From November to February, the city experiences inversion during nights and humidity increases leading to the dust remaining in the ambient air.

A study conducted in 2007-08 by IIT-Madras says that dust on paved roads has the bigger share among particulate matter when compared to that of vehicular emission. It suggested that roads be swept and watered to bring down the amount of road dust.

The Corporation has recently placed orders to procure mechanical sweepers. Residents, however, are sceptical as the equipment is only to be used on major roads.

Jayashree Sridharan, a resident of Kodambakkam, says that mechanical sweepers would not be used in residential areas. “Though we live on a major road, it is not swept. Corporation staff only clear garbage. Because of this, there is a fine layer of dust on glass surfaces if they are not wiped daily. I pay my servant an additional Rs.250 every month to wipe around the house.”

This dust has had a visible impact on the health of residents. R. Balachandran, a senior citizen in Anna Nagar West, says that elderly persons are most affected. “A new one-way system has been introduced here causing so much dust. That is in addition to the vehicular emission. When traffic changes are made, the authorities concerned must check the pollution levels. Nobody consults residents before such changes. I am a heart patient and need to go on regular walks. It has become impossible to walk as I cannot inhale on the roads and in the evenings the glare of the headlights affects my vision.”

Officials of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, which measures air pollution levels in five locations manually, say that the number of monitoring stations would be increased.

“We are procuring mobile monitoring stations too. The IIT-M study has also suggested that old vehicles be phased out, on which the State government has not taken a decision yet. Various factors, including traffic congestion, Metro Rail work, low vehicular travelling velocity and the narrow roads have caused an increase in dust levels. We are working on modalities to improve urban air quality,” says TNPCB Member Secretary K. Karthikeyan.

Rajesh Rangarajan, project lead, India Pollution Map, CDF – IFMR, said that now that the TNPCB has a sense of which sectors contribute most to air pollution, it must strengthen monitoring infrastructure in each of these areas. “It should also move beyond conventional monitoring, improve them and have equipment in the suburbs that are growing,” he said.

The government tertiary care hospitals in the city have registered a significant increase in the number of patients reporting with allergic rhinitis, bronchial asthma, upper and lower respiratory infections and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Thoracic and ENT experts say these conditions are a direct result of increased air pollution.

At the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, in the past year, there has been a 10 per cent increase in the number of persons who have sought treatment for these problems, says D. Ranganathan, professor of Chest Medicine. “Earlier there was a season for allergies and asthma, which began around Deepavali and ended in March. But now we receive patients through the year,” he adds.

The Government Stanley Hospital's ENT Department receives approximately 30 to 40 new patients with allergic rhinitis daily. “We have seen a five per cent increase in the number of patients reporting with allergic reactions,” says department head T. Balasubramanian. “Diesel fumes increases particulate matter in the air. It has been documented that sneezing and bronchial asthma complaints are due to exposure to diesel fumes,” he adds.

Anumita Roychowdhury, researcher at the Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) says that most Indian cities, including Chennai, utterly fail to meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards.

“Repeated studies have shown that extremely small-sized particulate matter content is generally very high in the air we breathe,” she says. Considering that such particulate matter or what is commonly called road dust accounts for 70 per cent of the air pollution load, it is important to rework strategies. Long-term exposure to dust is bound to have an adverse impact on the health.

Reflecting on Delhi's own experience in handling chronic air pollution, she says that the introduction of compressed natural gas made a huge difference. “Chennai should try its own version of technological interventions that could improve air quality. For example, the city must try and leapfrog to Euro IV vehicle emission standards, from the current Bharat IV norms, as soon as possible,” she says.

Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Sanjay Arora also cites the sheer number of vehicles as a major problem. “The level of congestion on arterial roads is so much that during rush hour, each vehicle user, on an average, takes 2-3 signal cycles to cross a junction. Better traffic regulation at junctions is possible through signal optimisation, which would also reduce emissions due to vehicle idling. But we need signal systems that can dynamically adjust timings based on vehicle volumes through the day.” He admits that emission norms are not enforced too strictly.

Though repeated studies have shown that vehicular emission is responsible for over 50 per cent of the city's air pollution load, experts say that the emission control mechanism of all agencies concerned — Transport Department, TNPCB and the traffic police — have been systematically dismantled. While the city had about 130 emission testing centres in 1997 when pollution control levels were introduced, it had come down to around 30 by 2010.

(With inputs from Deepa H Ramakrishnan, Ajai Sreevatsan and R. Sujatha)

Source

[arun82]

CC is concentrating on collecting the waste and dumping it in some place. But the focus should be identify and reduce the waste.

1) Identify the waste generation pattern like markets and hotels large quantity of Bio degradeable waste. There should be separate vehicles to collect these waste and send it to compost yards.

2) Commercial areas will generate more of non bio degradeable waste. Vendors can be appointed to sort the waste in the collection depots. All items can be taken by them free of cost and recycled. This will reduce the burden on the dumping yards.

3) Remove waste generation methods like giving paper plates on top of plates. Plastic glasses, water packets etc

4) Shred the bio degradeable waste and send it to outskrits like Kalpakkam or Gummudipoondi and set up huge compost yards.

[anekho]

Way to go is to manage waste wisely

Over 40 households in Seabroke Apartments at Tiruvanmiyur in the city segregate their waste in separate bins, biodegradable and non-biodegradable, and have started composting the waste to make organic manure for the common garden.

The three-month-old compost plan has received good response from the residents and has also encouraged them to minimise waste generation at the household-level.

As the agreement on garbage disposal between South America-based Neel Metal Fanalca and the Chennai Corporation was nearing an end last November, garbage bins near the apartments were overflowing.

The residents discussed the issue and decided to tackle the problem by themselves.
Engineering student Ms Arthi Rao (20) and her friends in the apartment explained to the elders about waste segregation.

“We told the residents about the advantages like garbage-free streets and compost for our garden if all of us segregated our waste. We put up a board informing them about organic and non-organic waste. We had the support of our gardener Tirupathy and sanitary worker Vasanthi to start segregation. Now, we are awaiting manure from the compost bins,” Ms Rao said.

IT professional Ms Usha and her husband, Maths professor Mr Shiva Shankar, worked out ways to reduce the waste at home. “We try our best to avoid plastic bags. We gather carry bags, which we already have at home, and reuse them as much as we can. We welcome our sanitary staff every day,” they said.

Seabroke residents’ association members Mr V. Srinivasan and Ms M.S. Bagiyalakshmi said the waste segregation project has also marked the 25th year of their apartment.

“Similar to the rainwater harvesting model, the AIADMK government should make waste management mandatory in flats to keep our city clean,” they said.

Source

[vinodgopal]

in singapore i am currently staying in a hostel that recycles its wastes into useful things. Like an old western toilet is converted into a seat!

And a tailoring machine as a computer table. And old drainage pipes as lockers to put our things safe!

I think that kind of idea can be deployed to India too.

[anekho]

Staff shortage keeps city dirtier after new year

Chennai city corporation is struggling to clear New Year’s eve garbage as the local body is short of staff and the private firm will begin its operation only after Pongal.

The expansion has made the city to look dirtier and it is visible on the ECR and OMR roads. And the situation in north Chennai is worse when compared to other parts of city, corporation sources alleged.

“The corporation currently handles about 90 per cent of land in Chennai area and provides services to 95 per cent of its population and there is a requirement for more staff to take up routine civic works”, a senior AIADMK councillor said.

“Authorities expanded the city during the previous DMK regime without taking any precautions”, opined ex-deputy mayor ‘Karate’ R. Thaigarajan.

Source

[bonoslack7]

Tricycles of Ramky Enviro Engineers Ltd at a garbage transfer station in Pulianthope on Tuesday.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/...cle2773817.ece

Ramky Enviro Engineers Ltd. will begin conservancy operations in the Teynampet zone of the Chennai Corporation next week and expand to Kodambakkam and Adyar zones by the end of the month.

The company replaces Neel Metal Fanalca, whose term ended on December 31. Ramky Enviro, which would cover 88 sq km, would be sweeping even interior roads, remove small bits of paper, clear garbage at night and segregate garbage during door-to-door collection.

Sources in Ramky Enviro Engineers Ltd said a total of 82 big vehicles, including 66 compactors, 9 tippers for green waste, 12 emergency vehicles and 3 mechanical sweepers have been procured. “We are mobilising the vehicles. Already a consignment of tricycles has arrived in Chennai. A total of 1,500 tricycles each carrying six 50 litre bins would be put to use. We are also hiring 3,000 employees for conservancy operations,” he said.

“Officials of the Chennai Corporation are guiding us and letting us know about the problems of each area and we are planning accordingly,” he said.
Garbage clearance hit

As Ramky Enviro has been given time till January 20 to begin its operations in the three zones and Neel Metal Fanalca withdrawing its services, residents of many localities complain that garbage clearance has taken a backseat.

“During their contract period, NMF staff used to be seen on and off trying to do some work. But, for the past few days nothing has happened. There are piles of uncleared garbage lying everywhere,” said R.Sridharan, a resident of Kodambakkam.

“Garbage on Bazaar Road in Mylapore has not been removed for the past few days. Residents of our locality have been removing excess garbage on their own and dumping it in other localities nearby,” said S. Nedunchezhian, resident of Mylapore. Residents are tired of registering complaints with the Corporation, he added.

“The bin on our street corner was removed on Sunday. People now dump garbage on the road,” said G.Venkataraman, a resident of Pattammal Street, Mandaveli. Garbage clearance by the Corporation, as a stop-gap measure, is restricted to main roads. Interior roads are not being cleaned, he added.

The Corporation should have learnt from past experience. When the contract of conservancy firm Onyx ended and the next firm took over, a similar situation prevailed, recalled a former Corporation councillor. The reason for NMF's poor performance was the low rate that it quoted for every tonne of garbage. Their rate was Rs.650 to 700 per tonne, which was just half of what Onyx had charged. Ramky would get Rs.1,469 per tonne.

Corporation Commissioner P.W.C. Davidar said the ‘grace time' given for Ramky Enviro Engineers Ltd. to begin full-fledged conservancy operations would be over by the end of January.

[ramvaradan]

thumbs up. seems like an enviro-cleaning solution with less of its own carbon footprint.. via bicycles. optimist in me waiting with a bated breath

[murlee]

Garbage transfer to gain speed

The Chennai Corporation will introduce a new system of garbage collection which would put an end to the problems associated with large garbage transfer stations inside the city.

Speaking at the launch of road re-laying work, in T.Nagar on Wednesday, Mayor Saidai S.Duraisamy said the problems faced by the residents on account of the seven garbage transfer stations in the city would be solved.

In the new system, the garbage would be transported to the dumpyards in Perungudi and Kodungaiyur on the same day of collection. This would reduce the possibility of growth or spread of disease causing bacteria or pests in the localities around the garbage stations, many of which are congested.

Conservancy workers would arrive at doorstep at a scheduled time after 6.30 a.m. daily. The waste would be taken in tricycles or other compact vehicles to a specially designed enclosure in each of the 200 wards in the city. Around 2,000 points in the city would have such enclosures which would be designed in such a way that waste collected would not be visible for the residents. By 10.30 a.m. the vehicles would arrive at the enclosures and transport the content to landfill sites in Perungudi or Kodungaiyur.

Apart from the garbage stations, there would also not be any street bins.

Calculations are under way to make the number of direct trips to the dumpyards optimum according to the new proposal. The entire system would be designed to have lesser impact on traffic in the city by finalisation of routes for garbage transportation.

The pilot project would begin in ward 141 in T.Nagar shortly. If the project is successful, the seven transfer stations in Otteri, Nungambakkam, Pudupet, Saidapet, Mylapore and Basin Bridge would not be needed. Earlier, the civic body had plans of commissioning a garbage transfer station in each of the 15 zones.

At present, the civic body takes the garbage to the transfer stations where the waste is stored for over 24 hours before being transported to dumpyards.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/...cle2776899.ece

[kannan infratech]

RAMKY seems to have copied what our Adyar Exnora has done. Even color schemes are same.

[robertashok]

Originally Posted by kannan infratech

RAMKY seems to have copied what our Adyar Exnora has done. Even color schemes are same.

if it delivers the result that is needed, it is more important

[N.kumar]

I hope steeet bins like some 5 litre ones are provided at different places alsong roads.

otherwise people throw waste on to the roads. some of these then go to storm water drains.

[ramvaradan]

Would they also collect whats not classified as garbage but street side debris? I guess, that's another whole ball of wax!?

[kannan infratech]

Corporation has engaged private lorries and JCBs to clear garbage mounds at every street corner.

But they come to a particular area only once in a week or so. Since JCB can be used only for mass clearance and not for small qty. They used BobCats earlier but not to be seen now.

In our area Ramky announce that they will come only from Jan 30th. They have planned to collect from each house / flat between 6 am and 10 am every day.

We find it so difficult to manage one street with our own fish cart and collecting person. How they will manage whole of Chennai. It will be very difficult.

People have to be educated and tuned for this first. esp the servant maids.

Lets hope for the best.

Reg Building debris and street rubbish, it seems that it is not in Ramky's scope of things. They do not get paid for that.

Neel Metal drivers used to charge separately from the house owners who dispose.

[Leo_r]

New Mayor is making a mess of Garbage disposal, going back to eighties. Most roads/streets have become yards..stinking.

Onyx had an Expatriate Manager,made a thorough study on volume of garbage per day generated for a bin and scheduled removal accordingly....tried their best to keep every bin atleast half empty, anytime of the day..He left after organising and setting up proper systems...

They brought modernity in plans,work force and taught a few lessons to CC.

Sad to see present state of affairs. Very depressing.

The Hindu, true to its motto, will remain silent. PT TV brought the conditions of many stinking roads to focus...Mayor,Commissioner,Councillors nowhere to be seen!

[kannan infratech]

If they give the street cleaning to Corporation staff and only House collection to Ramky, it will be a very bad move.

I get this suspicion since Corporation councillors will make huge money here.