Creating a litter free community

Sterling Apartment in Guduvancherry with its serene atmosphere, breezy environment, spotless streets and a verdant central park, is hugely welcoming. However, previously, the tenants and guests were greeted with litter strewn footpaths, overflowing trash bins, heaps of filth in every corner accompanied by a foul stench. The MSWM team along with the residents accomplished the remarkable makeover with their zeal, dedication and pertinacious effort.

The project was implemented in the first week of November, 2016, after a day-long awareness program conducted by the MSWM team in the apartment which has about 720 households. Mrs. P. Anuradha, a resident casts her mind to the dreadful days when the garbage cans weren’t removed for more than a week. “When it rained, water stagnated in the garbage cans, emanating a foul smell and producing maggots. At times, a hungry dog or cow would push the barrel down, littering the footpaths with rotting waste”, she recalls. Her apprehension about her family’s high susceptibility to new, unknown diseases was put to rest after the intervention of MSWM team.

Ms. E.N.Sasikala, a resident of the apartment is pleased that the Municipal Solid Waste Segregating System adopted, is highly beneficial to the residents. “Though we weren’t oblivious to the advantages of segregation, we were lethargic to observe it, until one Sunday when a team from Hand in Hand India visited the apartment and exhorted us to strictly put it into practice. The MSWM team along with the office-bearers of our apartment knocked on every door and urged us to start segregating our waste; they patiently answered our queries and spent the whole day with us even without caring to lunch. Their commitment motivated us and we took it upon us to segregate our wastes. Now, we can proudly say that we are conserving the future by recycling,and converting our waste into compost,” beamed Ms. E. N. Sasikala.

The Association President of Sterling Apartment, Mr. J. Manoharan assists the MSWM team to achieve a hundred percent result. Being a resident of Sterling for eleven years, he appreciates and welcomes the change, “Earlier, we have striven to pursue several strategies to manage our waste, but they were in efficacious, until, the MSWM team, including Mr. Ramesh, Block Manager and Ms. Navarathinam, Assistant Block Manager successfully drove home the point.”

The signatures of the residents who segregate are registered daily to identify the ones who fail to segregate. Presently, about 90% segregate their waste, whereas, the others are consistently instructed and persuaded to do the same.

He lauded the MSWM team and expressed that they never complain, nor are reluctant to do more than what their job requires, “From encouraging the new tenants to start segregation, to helping the elderly residents in segregating their waste, they are doing an exemplary job.”

People need to take responsibility for the cleanliness and maintenance of their localities. The residents of Sterling believed that together, they can make their apartment a cleaner place – and they achieved just that.