Location : Ward 179 Velachery, Chennai.

Chennai has 200 wards across 15 Zones. Velachery falls under Zone 13. It contains many residential areas comprising of open layouts and apartment complexes. The segregation levels in the area are quite poor and hence most of the waste is being dumped on the roadsides in the ward. A new agency Urbaser Sumeet started operations in this area from 1st Oct 2020. They have a mandate to collect segregated waste and hand it over to  processing facilities. Segregation of waste at source is the first step towards scientific waste management. There is an urgent need to improve the source segregation levels to ensure that the biodegradable waste is composted, the non-biodegradable waste is sorted and sent for recycling and the rejects are sent to landfills.

Key interventions under the project:

• To inculcate the practice of source segregation .
• Ensure regular collection of wet and dry waste to reduce the dumpsites.
• To ensure resource recovery from the waste and prevent its diversion to landfill or open burning, thereby reducing environmental impact and improving the health conditions of the residents.
• To work with the community to bring about greater engagement and ownership of the waste management system.
• Change the behaviour of citizens and visitors towards practicing sustainable waste management through awareness campaigns and clean-ups.