India generates 62 million tonnes of waste each year. About 43 million tonnes (70%) are collected, of which about 12 million tonnes are treated, and 31 million tonnes are dumped at landfill sites. With changing consumption patterns and rapid economic growth, it is estimated that urban municipal solid waste generation will increase to 165 million tonnes in 2030 (source:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waste_management_in_India). If we keep generating waste at this rate, then the day you have to wear antipollution masks like astronauts during space visits – is not far! So, we need a foolproof plan to dispose of all kinds of waste to keep our communities and our planet Earth a clean place to live for all future generations.
Aashiana Apartments at Venus Colony in Alwarpet is a gated community in Chennai that has become renowned for successfully adopting best practices in waste management and water conservation. This community makes an excellent case study for emulation and replication in other parts of Chennai and India.
In 2022 we organised an event on How to make your locality zero-waste, water-secure, and climate-resilient. Our panelists were the champions of the apartment complex who had achieved a positive transformation: Vidya Balakrishnan, R. Ramanathan, Anita Hegde, Hari Sethuraman, and Bhuvana Panchayath. The moderator was Shyama V. Ramani of FIN. Listen to their story and the challenges they faced with achieving zero-waste, composting, grey water management, and many more. Let us start the new year with hope!
Watch the Event video here