A bit on Mar 15 clean-up
Will add to that a bit Vids. One, I actually came in Sari and unwalkable heels (yes there is a kind like that; only I get to use it though. Cause only I get to discover them). Bindu kindheartedly offered me one of her salwars and home-sandals, so I was rescued from the embarrassment of looking weird (one of those saris you wouldn’t call clean-up specials) and no doubt, my one-of-a-kind shoes tripping me down every 30 seconds. Now, someone had asked me something about the shoes, what was that now? Ah yes why do I wear them. And I remember who asked it – Me!
When I reached in Sari at Bindu’s house, Bindu was looking at Srijith (who came to direct me to the house) and asked him “Where is Cris?” A minute later she saw my face “That’s you Cris! I thought you were someone else”.
Hmm. No Sari for clean-ups, rule number 1!!!
But well, I used a dozen safety pins for the Sari and they all came in handy for id card clipping! Smart eh?
Another little Cris-crack came when after clean-up we had gathered around Bindu’s sit out and were having tea and snacks. I am a coffee person and completely anti-tea. So when someone asked for a second cup, and I saw one in front of me, I offered it “Take mine, I dont really want tea.”
“Ahem” – that was Srijith. “That tea is mine Cris”
Ouch.
And then I saw another cup on the chair and I say “Ah oh that is mine”
“That’s mine Cris” – from Bindu!
Ouch-2!
Lesson number 2 – do not offer tea cups you see in front of you to anyone.
About the plastic burning advice that Vids said – yes we approached one of Bindu’s neighbors who seemed to burn some waste, including plastic. He apparently knew about the ill-effects since he worked at the Trivandrum Museum. “But its only a little bit of plastic”, he said in defence. I suppose the message of why-no-plastic has to reach a lot of us, well and clear.
Two guys, next to Bindu’s house were surely a positive sign! I was quite happy to find people, for a change, asking us why we didn’t tell them before so they could have joined us! We have been telling everyone how easy it is to be part of this, but no one seemed interested once they knew what we were up to. These guys came out to talk to us and even complain for not letting them in as well. They sure had a point. Next time, we know what to do. 
March 15th, 2009 : Street Clean-up
– by Vidya Gopalakrishnan (Vids)
Today, I reached a bit late! Well.. bit means, it started at 4:30pm and I reached at 4:50pm! 
Normally I’m not that good with time though I have been getting the feeling from morning itself that I am gonna be late! I don’t know what time everybody got there at, or what everyone was doing till then. Srijith asked me whether I had brought the badges and while I was giving it to him, he mentioned that Cris had come. Well, this came as a surprise since she had told me the previous day that she cannot make it!
The number was 20 for this meeting. Everyone got their badges and gloves on, picked up tongs and sacks and started the cleaning-up process. The street in front of Bindu’s house offered a lot of plastic waste and a disturbingly large amount of broken glass pieces. A whole sack was full of the glass pieces and we stopped filling it when the sack started tearing!
There was one woman who asked us what we were doing, and Cris explained Tidy City’s objectives to her. Her fascinating reply was, “What is the use of us doing it for just one day? Tomorrow the same thing is going to happen!!”
And I shouldn’t probably forget to mention what an old woman asked us! I’m a bit dishonored to say this but anyway, she asked us whether we take bottles because she apparently has a lot of bottles in her house that needs to be cleared! 
Well I have asked Srijith not to wear that dress he wore today anymore for Tidy City’s programmes!
But there were two guys who, although were genuinely interested to join, also addressed their displeasure towards our seemingly non-cooperative attitude and exclusive membership. But after talking to them, they were so ready to join! But comments like “All you need is gloves, and we can join you, right?” and “What can we pick today? You have picked every paper on this street” did bother me. But with 8 sacks full of rubbish around them, they had every right to ask that question! Anyway, they gave us a useful advice: that we are involuntarily carrying a wrong attitude that might stop people from approaching us.
Bindu came a bit later asking someone to volunteer to go and talk to somebody who was burning plastic nearby. Well everyone went. Everyone, except me, who was stuck writing “Don’t throw away plastic on the road” and “Don’t throw away glass pieces on the road” on a piece of paper, in Malayalam, that was to be pinned to the sacks. Someone has to comment on how the talking went!
We met another person, a faculty member of SMV school, who said that he can help us by getting the participation of school students in the Tidy City activities, and not just his school, but many other schools in Trivandrum!
After taking the sacks to the place where it’ll be collected by the corporation vehicle, we came back to Bindu’s house, tidied ourselves and had a little discussion along with refreshments. The discussion was about Tidy City’s next venue and we also charted some future plans. At about 7:30, we winded up to return home. As always, this was the end of another glorious day in Tidy City’s calendar! New Nightmare film
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Mar 8 clean up.. Kudos!
– by Cris
I was a little late to join the Sunday clean-up coming straight from work. We had to shift our venue to Museum, since the no-trash-can issue in Kanakunnu premises could not be resolved. Following Merle’s suggestion we pinned on name tags in addition to the TidyCity tags. Piyush, one of our new members brought 10 people with him, all of whom were part of his company’s initiative “Greens”. Kudos new people!
We started as one single group going in one single line. But soon we were drifting off to different directions. We had to wind up sooner than we thought because of the huge bundle of plastic bottles that was collected. That was a little shocking considering we found the museum in quite a good shape just a couple of weeks ago. We took the plastic bottles homes temporarily (quite voluntarily I am sure, right gang?) and hope to decide on what to do with them soon enough. Kudos gang!
Then we had a good discussion when Swapin detailed the steps on registering TidyCity. There is just a lot of things you need to take care of before getting stamped as a recognized initiative! But Swapin, undoubtedly is one of the hardest workers in the group and made things a lot easier for all of us! Kudos doc!
There are a lot of things to be taken care of. This week, we recorded maximum participation with 24 volunteers joining us (Thanks again Piyush!). With each passing week, and every new volunteer joining TidyCity, its responsibility grows and it is sheer pleasure to watch the commitment and dedication of every single member. I had suggested that since we got something to do for Saturday, we might skip Sunday for this week – it should not end up too stressful. But everyone had opposed it! Noone wanted the Sunday clean-up taken off schedule. “Saturday’s work is just a bonus we got Cris!”, one of them said. What can I say but kudos to one and all in TidyCity!
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Kerala is a big trash bin!
– by Bindu Philip
While I was traveling from Trivandrum to Bangalore couple of days back (5th March 2009), I was so saddened by the sight of all kinds of trash, thrown all over the places that the train passed. The passengers in trains seem to think the railway track and the places around it, a big trash bin. Thousands of travelers use trains to reach their destinations everyday and all these people are throwing all kinds of wastes including food containers, plastic covers, tea and coffee cups ( paper?), and paper plates outside the train. They are not at all bothered about throwing these outside through the windows.
I always collect my left overs and food containers and bring them home. Even the so called high society people traveling in the a/c compartments are throwing their left overs out of the train as if they are entitled to use the entire state of Kerala for their waste disposal.
When the train was approaching the Paravoor station near Kollam, some fire sparks fell inside my compartment. Such sparks are enough to cause a big explosion inside the train. The sparks were actually the result of burning trash somewhere outside on the roads!
What we can do to stop all this I wonder!!
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Competition for trash pick up!
– by Ajai
On Feb 22, I came at around at 3.50 pm at the Museum gate and was looking for TidyCity guys as I was a new member and didn’t have any idea how to find them. Then I called Sreejith and he said they are on the way and wait in front of the gate. So I stood there searching for more members (later I came to know that some guys who were standing next to me were ‘the’ members). Then I thought we should make some posters and large, eye catching placards. So I went on looking for chart sheets and paint, in the LMS compound and found all the shops closed (stupid me.. of course its a Sunday!!). When I came back, to my utter surprise, there stood Merle with a pair of cute pink gloves in her hand. Curious, I asked if she was a member of TidyCity. She said yes and she too was a new member and was anxiously waiting for the others as it was already 4. Then she offered me a glove and I said I’ve brought a pair of gloves with me. Happy to find company, she readily started picking up small wrappers and all and dumped it in the nearest dustbin. I gladly joined her and picked some papers and put it in the waste basket. She then pointed to a paper near the security’s shed and said ” Thats mine..”.
I was very happy to find her that much excited because she was clear about what we have in our mind “A cleaner world”. But I felt sorry because there were people who saw us picking up trash but continued to throw more wherever they felt like.
I went with her and a security guard stopped and asked me what was going on? I said about our project and he said OK. Just then Sreenath came to me and inquired whats happening. I never knew him so I mentioned TidyCity and then I heard him say to someone over the phone, “Pedikkanda, nammude aalukal thanneya” (Dont worry, these people are our members!”)
While walking back after our clean-up, I was wondering what must have gone through Sreenath’s mind…
He(& the guy over the phone) must had in their mind that…
“Eeshwara, chavaruparakkanum competitiono???” (“God, do we have a competition for trash pick-up???”)
The EPA of 1986, The Magana Carta
-Swapin
The Stockholm conference, 1972
United Nations Conference on the Human Environment held at Stockholm (http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=97&ArticleID=1492&l=en) in June, 1972, in which India participated. Based on the discussions, An Act to provide for the protection and improvement of environment and for matters connected there with ,was enacted, It is known as The environment Protection Act of 1986.
Salient features
- It defined
- Environment
- Environmental pollutant
- pollution
- hazarders substance
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Empowered, the Central government to take, appropriate measures to protect and improving the quality of the environment and preventing controlling and abating environmental pollution..
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The Authority called , Pollution control Board was, empowered to It serves as a field formation and also provides technical services to the Ministry of Environment and Forests of the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. .
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They authority was granted , powers to monitor, control all industrial emission, and other hazardous waste products. and all there action, in good faith was immunised from Civil courts.
- The Testing and Quality control labs, Formed.
- Various penalties for defaulters were also defined.
It is the first ever and most powerful Legislation, for the protection of the Environment. It have made the pollution control board the supreme authority in dealing with it.
The Pollution Control Board
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Is a statutory organisation (Constituted by a statute or law), was constituted in September, 1974 under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974. Further, CPCB was entrusted with the powers and functions under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
It serves as a field formation and also provides technical services to the Ministry of Environment and Forests of the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
Principal Functions of the CPCB, are described in the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, are
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to promote cleanliness of streams and wells in different areas of the States by prevention, control and abatement of water pollution.
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to improve the quality of air and to prevent, control or abate air pollution in the country.
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Advise the Central Government on any matter concerning prevention and control of water and air pollution and improvement of the quality of air.
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Plan and cause to be executed a nation-wide programme for the prevention, control or abatement of water and air pollution;
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Co-ordinate the activities of the State Board and resolve disputes among them;
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Provide technical assistance and guidance to the State Boards, carry out and sponsor investigation and research relating to problems of water and air pollution, and for their prevention, control or abatement;
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Plan and organise training of persons engaged in programme on the prevention, control or abatement of water and air pollution;
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Organise through mass media, a comprehensive mass awareness programme on the prevention, control or abatement of water and air pollution;
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Collect, compile and publish technical and statistical data relating to water and air pollution and the measures devised for their effective prevention, control or abatement;
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Prepare manuals, codes and guidelines relating to treatment and disposal of sewage and trade effluents as well as for stack gas cleaning devices, stacks and ducts;
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Disseminate information in respect of matters relating to water and air pollution and their prevention and control;
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Lay down, modify or annul, in consultation with the State Governments concerned, the standards for stream or well, and lay down standards for the quality of air; and
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Perform such other function as may be prescribed by the Government of india.
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Advise the Governments of Union Territories with respect to the suitability of any premises or location for carrying on any industry which is likely to pollute a stream or well or cause air pollutions; Lay down standards for treatment of sewage and trade effluents and for emissions from automobiles, industrial plants, and any other polluting source; Evolve efficient methods for disposal of sewage and trade effluents on land; develop reliable and economically viable methods of treatment of sewage, trade effluent and air pollution control equipment; Identify any area or areas within Union Territories as air pollution control area or areas to be notified under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981; Assess the quality of ambient water and air, and inspect wastewater treatment installations, air pollution control equipment, industrial plants or manufacturing process to evaluate their performance and to take steps for the prevention, control and abatement of air and water pollution.
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Sh. J. S. Kamyotra ( Member Secretary )
Web Address : http://www.cpcb.nic.in/ A Letter to Three Wives download
The web site is well maintained ,and would be very useful, Esp for Dr. Bindu, Who she is very strict in about Burning plastics. It also contain lot of data and other programmes. They also responds to email quarries.
All are welcome to ask any questions, queries, in this subject and share any information. Together, we will find an answer. If you are asking about the specific waste problem in your locality, please do mention the details like ward, place, village etc, so that we could ask for response from the concerned authorities. Next post would be about the State pollution control board, and “How to complain them about a waste problem ( Like Burning of plastics). to get remedy”
Jai Hind
Part 2: Cleaning neighbor's house: Bindu
– by Bindu Philip
(This is in continuation of another entry posted some time back – link to that entry)
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For sometime now, I was thinking about my neighbor’s compound which I had cleaned a month back. To satisfy my curiosity I took a look around and found the same scenario that I saw back then!! Plastic waste was scattered all around the compound! From the moment I saw this, my mind wouldn’t rest until I decided to do a second round of clean up. I was reluctant at first but I proceeded anyway!
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I went there today as soon as I came back from a place I had to go to, with a sack and a pair of gloves. I was shocked to see empty plastic alcohol bottles! It was not actually empty, there was some liquid still left in these bottles. I collected everything. I saw more than 6 plastic covers full of food thrown away carelessly. I was thinking how these people were living there amidst this junk!
I found a lot of pan covers, wet plastic covers, and towards the end, the sack was almost full! I called a person from the house to show the sack. This time, I was more courageous; I explained the dangers of littering and I warned them about snakes that might wander to the house in search of food from the nearby sarpakaavu (serpent grove). Cobras were seen in that house on two or three occasions!
I explained the dangers of throwing plastic wastes in the compound and I think they finally understood what I was trying to say. Actually, 25 people are living in the same house! Just think if each one of them starts throwing plastic covers, and bottles around! What a mess it was!
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I carried the garbage sack (that I collected) and left it at the collection point of corporation at Pettah poultry farm. I wrote a message in a sheet of paper- “Dayavaayi plastic wastes alakshayamayi parisarangalail valicheryatirikkuka – www.tidycity.org” (Please don’t abandon plastic wastes in your surroundings – www.tidycity.org)
I hope they have learnt a lesson at least this time! But I very much doubt it!
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Learnings from last Sunday
– by Aneesh Ramachandran
Last Sunday was pretty interesting in many ways. The venue was my favourite hangout place in Trivandrum, the lustrous Shangumugham Beach.
It is true that we didn’t do much of a cleaning, but nevertheless it was an opportunity to learn much more…
Presenting my take on the learnings from last Sunday on a lighter note.
1. It took the ‘guy selling flute’ at the beach to make me realize that Cris has not paid me a dime for my cleaning efforts so far. .He was shocked to learn that I was picking up his ‘Gutka’ and ‘Pan’ covers in that blazing Sunday afternoon for no charges whatsoever.
Cris please note 
2. It is impossible to clean the clean the beach front in a day as my friend Piyush rightly pointed out. .
It is indeed a reality folks, for every plastic cover we picked up there were hundred more buried under the sand.
3. Never ever say in front of Dr Swapin that our spices, especially pepper are being genetically modified. . I thought that he was gonna kill Bindu for saying that.
Just kidding folks!
BTW Dr Swapin seems like a walking encyclopedia .Every weekend I end up learning more and more from this great guy.
4. If anyone wants to see Dr Bindu on a rage, just tell her that u burnt plastic last day. I think she gets all worked up on the mere thought of burning plastic.
Hey Bindu, Thanks for checking my spectacles from being cleared away as garbage.
5. When Shibu called for ‘Start waste management from your home’, I was moved and all with plans. So this Monday evening I came home from office with a large clay pot, all ready to uphold the principles shibu proclaimed as to convert the waste into compost. To be exact I didn’t get a very big pot but a medium sized one, those readily available at the road side now a days.
And all my mom had to ask was “Enthada Pongala Idaan ithrayum valiyaa kalam venoooo?”
Translation: “Why do you need such big clay pots for Pongala?”
Anyhow I wasn’t completely able to convince my mom to go with the ‘Compost’ idea, but nevertheless she agreed to distribute the bio degradable wastes amongst her plants rather than giving away to the corporation.
In addition, three new sacks have taken their place behind our store room to hold plastic covers, plastic bottles and kalippu things like batteries respectively.
6. I realized last Sunday how grossly uninformed I was in the field of waste management. So the time is ripe to read and learn more.
7. Never agree that there is nothing in a name.
That is a secret folks. right Cris??
And to sum it all up, is a request to all you folks as I found out that there is one more ‘Aneesh’ in TIDY CITY, to gimme some ideas to distinguish one from the other.
Any spark, folks?
Yep, I know it’s a dumb request…
So thank you folks for yet another wonderful weekend for a wonderful cause.
Btw I am still wondering on what we did with those plastic Bisleri bottles after our meeting? Cheech & Chong’s The Corsican Brothers movie Fried Green Tomatoes movie full
A few guidelines from an NGO worker
– by Rasika Ramesh
Sunday’s cleanup was a real eye-opener for two reasons.One,we got to know a lot of opinions regarding our sincere clean-up efforts.Two, an NGO worker , Shibu, added a whole new dimension to our clean-up objective.
The TidyCity members met at the Indian Coffee House entrance at 4:15pm to begin yet another day’s work of extensive clean-up.TidyCity badges and placards were put up and the cleanup started.The cleanup continued until 5:30pm After disposing the rubbish in the various dustbins allotted,all of us settled down for a session with an NGO worker, Shibu.This provided us some apocalyptic realizations regarding the problems concerned with solid waste management.
These are some facts weaned from the discussion.
– A major part of the discussion was devoted to plastic wastes and their efficient disposal.The lack of an efficient plastic recycling plant was highlighted .Also the plastic retrieved after recycling High Density Plastics are of Low Density and thus arent too useful.
– The waste management plant at Vilappilshala erected by Government happens to be running at a complete loss – a totally wasteful exercise running on high funding but without producing a fraction of the expected output.
– The plant at Vilappilshala has been erected within a poor man’s enclave – where the poorest of Trivandrum reside.The presence of this plant has grossly deteriorated the land value by infiltering hazardous poisons and chemicals into the soil there.This has also been the cause for a range of diseases in this area.
– Decentralized composting has been nearly banned due to the government’s requirement of a minimum generation of 300 tonnes of waste per day to run the plant.Unfortunately not even a 3rd of this amount has been generated which has resulted in extensive losses in running the plant.
– Also the increased levels of toxicity of the wastes generated is an important issue.The mixing up of all sorts of wastes such as vegetable wastes,plastics,polymers etc has made recycling futile.
– The increased use of CFLs has also created a major disposal problem.The presence of mercury in these energy saving lamps has made their efficient disposal difficult due to numerous health hazards posed by this metal.Moroever the companies selling these lamps lack a take-back-after-use option thus posing a huge environmental threat.
– Styrofoam plates and cups,straws,children’s toys and a host of other plastic items have been created from lethal plastics and polymers dumped in landfills.
– In some places landfills have been carelessly covered temporarily by plastic sheets which would ultimately leak to and infect the Karamana river which also happens to be a major source of drinking water for Trivandrum city.
– Instructions for burning of plastics have been printed on the back cover of notebooks for children even though its common knowledge that burning of plastices rerlease harmful and toxic chemicals.
– Also,large amount of wastes generated in Kerala have been dumped in nearby states which characterizes the typical NIMBY’s syndrome which is the “keep my backyard clean by dumping wastes in my neighbour’s yard” behaviour.
What can be done to tackle the problem at grass-root level?
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– Carry out public cleaning endeavours and public waste management awareness campaigns(street plays.etc).
– Report burning of plastics.
– Send in regular entries to the ‘Letters to the Editor’ column of various newspapers regarding the cause to effect government laws and public opinions.
– Start up composting activities at individual homes.Centralized composting doesnt work and almost always runs at a loss.Decentralized “lazy man’s composting” is the way to go.
– Separate the plastics from vegetable wastes.Give away the plastics to ragpickers.
– CFL lamps,bottles etc should necessarily be given back to the shops we bought them from.This move should be enforced through public support and government intervention.
– Production of Biogas from vegetable wastes obtained from vegetable markets(which was banned to meet the 300 tonne limit) must be renewed with vigour.
– Propose waste management plans and send the proposed plans to to the corporation ,village panchayats etc.
– EPR (Extended producer responsibility) must be effected by all companies.EPR refers to the obligation of the producer to the consumer to take back goods such as PET bottles,tubelights,CFL lamps,TVs etc.
Plastic problem: finding a solution-Swapin
– Swapin
In our discussion with an NGO worker at Shanghumugham last Sunday, he warned us that our actions are creating more waste problems. It’s a reality, but some of us may wonder, how especially those who are not from a bio background
All these waste management concepts, dates back to around 5000 BC at the time of the first urban settlements in Indus valley civilization. But till the introduction of poly alkylated products or the so called plastics, it was running smoothly. During that pre plastic era, the waste produced was purely organic; that means, it would be decomposed by microbes, and returned to nature.
Later, in post plastic era, this natural cycle was disrupted. Not only was plastic non-biodegradable but it contained chemical contaminators and exhibited a non-porous (water proof, air tight, which cut the oxygen supply necessary for decomposing microbes) property that kills or inhibits the micro organisms necessary to act on organic waste, to decompose it.
Thus the use of non-biodegradable plastics, prevent decomposition of biodegradable waste too. Now in a desperate attempt, nature tries to decompose it through anaerobic decomposition, producing foul-smelling toxic cocktails of chemicals. This results in disrupting many vital cycles, like water, carbon and nitrogen cycle, which is so delicately balanced; threatening our very existence.
Now what we can do in this situation is a million rupee question. Our leaders, planners, scientists and of course, social organisations have tried many things. Before going into what we can do, we have to see what they have done, and, what are the waste management systems in place.
As we all know, we are in a democracy, so we are bound by laws. First of all, lets discuss what are the laws regarding waste management. At present we have 4 specific laws in this regard.
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The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
2. The Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986.
3.
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4.
I will try to discuss them, one by one in forthcoming posts. All are welcome to ask any questions, queries, in this subject and share any information. Together, we will find an answer. If you are asking about the specific waste problem in your locality, please do mention the details like ward, place, village etc, so that we could ask for response from the concerned authorities. Next post would be about the environmental protection act 1986.
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