Ganesh Visarjan, 2016 – Surat taking small but firm steps towards resilience…..

Every year, Ganesh Visarjan has been that day for the city that challenges authorities in several ways. From the issue of handling traffic to issue of immersion of POP statues of Ganeshji….the high number of statues and whooping population, makes the authorities work round the clock, one day before and after the holy ceremony, and yet the issues remain….

This year, for the first time it was different.

Image courtesy -  Mr Dhruv Parmar

For the first time, all vehicles carrying heavy or light Ganeshji statues were given specific routes. This is done every year though, but this time, the trucks and vehicles remained in the slow traffic lane, keeping one lane clear for routine traffic of cars and two wheeler most of the time.  Thousands of litres of fuel were saved due to this. Time saved. And the city air was spared from toxic vehicular emissions of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. And all it took was a simple thing. a simple understanding.

In almost every municipal zone of the city, there were artificial lakes created for the immersion of POP statues. The capacities of these lakes were different. This time, these lakes served the purpose. And Varacha Zone of the city most actively participated in this act of using artificial lakes, as per a newspaper today. The aquatic life of our Tapi and sea was saved to a great extent due to this step from the harmful effects of POP.

Of course there were issues and exceptions. The stalls distributing drinks and free food packets used plastic bags. The users, people displayed the same old behavior of ‘NOT CARING’ and the entire area near such food stalls, was covered with plastic waste of bags and disposable glasses. This brings us to the same old answer to the same old issue – public participation. The lack of sense of belongingness for the city and environment has already been discussed here several times.

Image courtesy for both above images -  Author

Thanks to the efforts of the authorities and SMC, by the following morning, that is today morning, most of these plastic waste was collected and taken care of.

One can only hope that this would not be repeated next year. This would help us improve ourselves. This year, we have seen fresh new signs of resilience with blessing from Ganeshji….we could only hope for the things to become better in coming years.

Himanshu (Arjun) Padhya

Important announcement from SMC on establishing OWC Plant - 'Organic Waste Converter Plant'......

As it is already known to all, source segregation of household waste is compulsory in new Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016.

Here is an important announcement from SMC, about establishing OWC Plant – 'Organic Waste Converter Plant' in your residential society / project. Sharing for information and taking advantage.

Please click on the pdf file below.....

Himanshu (Arjun) Padhya

Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016........Making the things right....!

I remember reading somewhere, two years back, about a summit of mayors of 151 cities of world, to address and discuss the most important issues of their cities. And it was concluded, that the second most important issue of the cities, urban areas around the world, is 'Solid Waste'.  The first, being unemployment.

This is alarming...! The fact, that the issue of environmental protection and conservation, makes it to top three alarming issues, is a great challenge to environmental engineers and planners around the world, who are continuously trying to make the lives of urban dwellers better.

India took a major step in addressing this issue in right way, when Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Prakash Javadekar, on 05-April-2016 announced 'Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016'. The word file of the his press address, containing the vitals of new rules is below. 

http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=138591

It is important to note that these rules, are revised after sixteen years. The most important and noteworthy point in these rules, is, that the importance of 'segregation', or source segregation is recognised and has been made mandatory.

As per the rules, now the segregation at source is not only mandatory, but the same is responsibility of generators. Every household, is now required to segregate their solid waste in three bins, with different colours. These are Green, White and Black. These are fixed colours and one cannot change it.

The types of waste, and colour to be used for the same is as under….

Colour	Solid Waste Type
Green	Kitchen waste Restaurant Waste Fruits Graden Waste
White	Plastic Waste Metal Waste Paper Waste Non hazardous electronic items
Black	CFL tubes Expired medicines Broken mercury products Used batteries Medical injections Used tins of pesticides etc.

For detailed information on colours and other vital information on rules, refer the pdf shared below. in English and simple Gujarati language as well.Please note that the pdf is based on information available of government website and other official sources.

The local authorities, SMC in case of Surat, are given time of one year in the rules. So, by April 2017, it is mandatory for all of us, to have these three bins outside our houses and begin source segregation of out household waste.

SMC has already initiated many programmes and schemes for the citizens, of which the details, I will keep on sharing as it becomes available to me.

Himanshu Padhya