Establishment of Environmentally and Economically Sustainable MSWM Systems

a) MSWM – Preparatory Work

For MSW management in Tirupati, detailed project reports were prepared by the consultants engaged by GTZ. As a part of the efforts to improve MSW Management System, a team of the Centre for Environment Education (CEE) had been stationed at Tirupati for undertaking awareness and education programmes and working on establishment of environmentally and economically sustainable MSW Management systems. The office of CEE has been established in the premises of the Tirupati Municipal Council. A number of awareness and education programmes had been taken up including special cleanliness drives.

Solid waste in the core area, before

The proposal for establishing an economically sustainable system for MSWM, entailing door-to-door household segregation, collection, disposal and recycling of waste, has been implemented in the three streets (Kaghithal Veedhi, North and South Mada Street) of the core area leading to reduced littering onto the roads and decrease in the garbage finding its way into the open drains in Tirupati. Based on the results achieved in these three streets, efforts are now on to extend the waste management system to the entire core area.

b) MSWM Implementation in Tirupati

The core area generates garbage of about 27 tons per day. There was no proper MSW management system in place before the start of the EcoCity project. There was no door-to-door collection and the solid waste was dumped in and around the cement bins that were placed at frequent distances on the road side. At many places, these bins were obstructing the traffic movement and also were becoming a source of nuisance due to dumping of garbage all around them. These bins with strewn garbage were attracting stray animals and also clogging the drains due to waste spills.

With the authorisation issued by the Tirupati Municipal Council, an agreement had been entered into with an NGO (M/s SCHWEP) and door-to-door collection & segregation of municipal solid waste commissioned in the streets of Kaghithal Veedhi, North Mada Street and South Mada Street catering to about 300 households.

The Tirupati Municipal Council provided two colour coded bins (green bin for dry waste and red bin for wet waste) to the residents of Kaghithal Veedhi, North and South Mada Streets for waste segregation at source. CEE had taken up the task of motivation and educating the people on segregation of wastes with a special campaign that was started on 15th August 2005 (Independence Day of India).

The segregated waste is collected door-to-door in a tricycle containing green and red bins by the waste collectors of the NGO (SCHWEP). The waste collector’s salary is paid by the residents @ Rs 10/- to Rs 15/- per household or shop per month. The collected wastes are finally transported to the centralised waste disposal facility.

Bins being distributed to residents

The above system has lead to removal of garbage bins that were a source of nuisance on the streets. There is reduced littering on the roads and reduction in the garbage finding its way into the open drains. An economically sustainable system entailing door-to-door household segregation, collection, disposal and recycling of waste has been established. With the positive results from the first phase that covered about 300 households, it has now been decided to extend the system to the entire core area covering about 1,600 households and about 1,500 shops.

Cleaner streets, after initial efforts