Waste management: See how they do it

Waste management: See how they do it
Tuesday June 3 2008 00:00 IST, ENS KOCHI

Now that we have a bylaw in place to ensure that the waste is segregated before disposal, we decided to ask a few councillors and Corporation officials to check out how they manage the waste generated at their homes.

TK Shamsuddin, chairman of health and education standing committee, buries the biodegradable waste on the premises of his house. Non-biodegradable waste is burnt. Being the health and education standing committee chairman, Shamsuddin is responsible for the waste disposal management.

Mayor Mercy Williams has set up a small waste treatment plant at her house. “The plant was constructed a year ago and it is very effective," the Mayor said.

The aerobic compost plant in Ponnurunni division which is represented by Deputy Mayor C K Manisanker is a model to others. “In my house, untreated biodegradable waste is used as manure. We burn paper and other things. If there is a large quantity of waste it is taken to the aerobic plant. The plant has been functioning here for the last six years," he says.

There was no garbage crisis at the Ponnurunni division when the city was finding it difficult to deal with garbage.

Melly Joy, councillor from Edakochi and former standing committee chairperson, uses the waste as feed for poultry. “There are only three members in my family, therefore not much waste is generated. Paper waste is burnt on the house premises itself,” she said. Anitha Jyothi of Elamakkara is also doing the same. She said that the amount of waste generated from her house is very little.

“Biodegradable waste is buried on the premises of the house while paper waste is burnt,’’ she said.

Corporation opposition leader A B Sabu who represents Poonithura, a division which shares border with Tripunithura municipality, said that the waste generated in his house is also buried.

“As my house is a few kilometres from the city, there is not much problem of waste disposal. Besides, we have set aside an area in our compound to dispose of biodegradable waste," Sabu said.