Garbage and communities

I interviewed 5 persons. Sharing the details of the questions that I asked them and the answers given by them.

1.Name of the person interviewed: Ms. Suchitra

• How long have you been living in this community?

I have been living in this community almost 5 years.

• What do you think about this community on being quite clean? Has this community been clean always?

Compared to other communities that I have seen, our community seems to be much better. Except for some places like duckpond, it has been shabby earlier and now after talking to the higher authorities, it is much better now.

• Do you segregate waste? What do you think of waste segregation?

I do segregate waste. Waste segregation is very much essential. This will make our environment much cleaner and much more better if this is organized in a right manner.

She also added these points and these are her views:

1. Avoid plastic bags.
2. Carry stainless steel lunch box and not plastic boxes.
3. Use cloth bags to carry things.

She also said that we are caught in a vicious circle and need to come out of this.

• If you are a change maker, what would you do to bring up the change that is required for the environment?

Change the mindset and mentality of the people.

To start with talk to relatives and close friends and bring about a change (Talk about waste segregation and ask them to follow)

Traditions to be followed. Tell people not to use plastic bags and instead use cloth bags.

The challenge is very difficult to convince people but we need to bring about the change in a slow manner.

I very determined about this.

 

• Have you visited any other country other than India?

Yes. I have been in UK for some years.

• What level should India go up to be much cleaner that that country in terms of waste management?

The first thing is that we need to have awareness of disposal of waste and do it in a very organized manner and each and every one should follow the rules.

The mentality of the people should change. If some things are to be followed irrespective of whether you say or I say it we all need to follow. All should care for the environment and work for it. This will bring a positive approach to solving problems.

Thank you.

2.Name of the person I Interviewed: Ms.Dolly

• Can you tell me little bit about yourself?

I am Dolly and I had lived in US for 10 yrs. I came to India 5 yrs ago. Now I am helping underprivileged children by teaching them English and so on. I collect notebooks, pencils, erasers and sharpeners and give to the children. I love reading books.

• What do you think about Waste management?

I think that one should reuse, reduce and recycle products which is very much essential. We all should work hard on making the environment clean and tidy. Everyone should think that what they are doing is right or wrong. Are we segregating waste? Are we recycling things? One should be very conscious and follow.

• What do you think about the waste segregation done in our community?

Most of the people are segregating things and using it appropriately. But, still there are lot of people who are taking it very casually and not doing it. They put all the garbages in one bag and throw it away. Sometimes, its very hard time getting things done. People should have civic sense.

• If you are a change maker, what would you do to bring up the change that is required for the environment?

I can do lot more in India compared to other countries. I have responsibility and I teach other generations and cooperate with the society and should do what we can do to the society to make it a much better place.

Thank you. 

3.Name of the person Interviewed: Ms. Chandrika Srinivasan

• How long have you been living in this community?

I have been living in this community for about 5 years. I came to this community in the year 2012.

• What do you think about our community interms of Waste management?

I feel it’s much better now than when I first came into this community. Initially, there was no segregation of waste done. There were lot of chocolate papers thrown in the lawn by the children, bubble gums stuck in the library, plastic covers thrown every where, but now this community feels the importance and the seriousness of segregating waste and they have started to do a pretty good job.

I would also say that there should be individual awareness,responsibility among each and every one so that the environment is kept clean.

• How will you be a change maker, if given an opportunity to keep the entire society clean?

I will create awareness among the people, instruct people not to throw garbage everywhere, teach them the importance of segregation, things to be reused, recycled and reduce. I initially started to pick up things on my own from the ground and this motivated some people to join me. Will also insist that the society must come together to achieve big things.

• What India have to do to reach up to other developed countries? (in terms of environment and the society)

India is a populous country. People should come forward, join together, work together for a good cause. Mindset of the people should change, their thinking should be big and all of us should work for the betterment of the society. Children like you all should join hands and bring a lot of change to the society.

Thank you.

4.Name of the person interviewed: Krishnan

• If you are said to be a change maker,what will be your first step that you will change regarding the waste management.

I will stop using plastics. If you stop using plastics, there won’t be much of waste that needs management.

• Isn’t it really difficult to stop using the plastics?

Yes. We should make a difference. We should really work hard to stop these things.

• In what ways do you think we can stop using plastics?

Wherever you think, you can stop using plastics, we should do it. For example, in earlier days, milk was supplied in a glass bottle which is reusable. But, today it is given in plastic bags. One simple way, we can stop that. Best way is to reuse. Whereever we feel we can reuse things, we need to reuse. It could be plastic, it could be many things. Why are we saying it is waste management? It means, we should stop wasting. We have decided we cannot stop wasting and that’s why we are calling as waste management.

• What level should India go up to be much cleaner that that country in terms of waste management?

I think we should have what is called as Civic Discipline. I will tell you my experience. When an Indian goes to America, he does not throw waste on the road, he stops in all the signals. The same Indian does not do it in our own country, because there is no Civic Discipline.

I think that a one big step that can make a difference is bring in a lot of Civic Discipline. All of this is available but it’s just that we all have forgotten.

• So, has these things changed?

Oh! Ya! It has changed. Lot of things have developed, but along with it there is also a lot of waste in the city. So I think development has happened but I think you need to have other support systems to keep the city clean. Very interesting question. But who do I say first?

I would say I will teach children.

• At what age groups?

I would say about 8- 10 yrs. Because if you teach them that young, they are going to be making a difference. Other set is they can go and teach politicians. But that’s not going to happen.

Thank you.

5.Name of the person interviewed: Karthik

• If you are said to be a change maker,what will you do to make the society better in terms of waste management?

What I understand is we should start at the grass root level. I think we are following a different approach. We are trying to tell the elder generation, in order to channelize it’s like you know little bit of awareness is there wherein people say organic waste, the other kind of waste-how you segregate. These things come later. But to start at the grass root level.

• School level?

Right.The moment they start understanding what you say,start at that level. Kids today are very smart. If we are going to target them, automatically then they will improvise the elders in their house. Then, things get done. The strategy is to Channelize the efforts towards educating the kids , by making an awareness known to the kids as to how the waste is to be managed.

• As you know that your community is very clean compared to the other communities as you have seen. Has it been always like this or….

I wouldn’t say that this community has been clean from day 1. But it is much cleaner now due to conscious effort. People initially didn’t know how to dispose waste, they had been disposing all the waste in one basket which was not helping. They had to be educated. So, there was a team formed which took this up as a service to educate people who are part of the community, even the maid servants, who are the main people,and slowly making it cleaner. I wont say it is clean but making this place clean in a slow pace on garbage disposal.

• Is it better than other community?

Yes. Definitely yes. Because these kind of awareness is shared across various platforms and we also trying to educate the kids as well as the inmates.

• How long have you been in this community?

More than 2 yrs.

• How was your experience in Waste Segregation in this community?

Every day there has been an improvement. We have been easing up rather than going down.

• Do you feel that Waste management is important to the society should grow one step higher?

Definitely yes.

• In what way?

Its like .. It’s not alone like people outside or your citiaite , or your community alone are following a particular practice. There should be a kind of hand shake and only then we can carry this momentum forward.

• So, you say that people should work as a team?

Oh Yes!.

• You have visited some countries, in what way our country should improve to be a bit like them?

Basically, we would come down to the same thing. The kind of waste that is produced across countries is the same. Only how it is being segregated into different kind of waste and how it is taken forward and how they are disposed off. That is what we are lacking. That is where we should focus and get better as far as waste management is concerned.

• If you are a child sitting in grade 8 or 9,what step will you take to help the community?

That’s very easy. Kids studying 8^th or 9^th, living in a community will have lot of friends. We are talking about team work and other things. I will involve them and make a team and will do door to door campaigning. Because elders appreciate the efforts taken by the kid and there will be tremendous improvement.

Thank you.