PROBLEM STATEMENT: How can we manage waste being thrown in plots?

LOCATION: Thiruvanmiyur, Rajaji nagar

I walked down my street everyday while coming back from school. I see a Plot with Garbage on my home. When we were told to identify a problem, the first thing came to my mind was the eye soaring site of the Plot. I was disgusted when I went to the garbage site, all the garbage’s were mixed together and it was stinking. I saw some of the wastes on the side of the road which is difficult for the pedestrians to walk on the road. I felt bad for the people around the garbage site since it was stinking & they were prone to fall sick often. Animals which eat from there might fall sick because they consume polluted food.

Interview 1

Person living next to the garbage site

1. What is your name?

ALAGA MMAI

Female/58yrs

2. How long have you been living here?

Since 1980

3. Was there garbage dumped over here from 1980?

No, only for the last 8 years because the community is growing.

4. What are the problems you are facing because of garbage being thrown here?

• There are mosquitoes, insects, rodents and reptiles living in there and it is very dangerous to the kids living there.

• There is a food chain in the garbage site:

Water stagnancy à Mosquitoes breed à Frogs eat mosquitoes à Snakes eat frog a Mongoose eats snakes.

• It smells bad.
• Mosquitoes spread diseases.

5. Where do you throw the garbage?

She throws the garbage in the dustbin or gives it to the garbage collector.

6. Have you tried doing something about the problem?

• She has tried telling people to stop throwing garbage here.
• She has told the corporation about it.
• She tried growing plants so that people stop.

7. What did the corporation do?

They kept a sign board saying “DON’T THROW WASTE” but people deliberately kept the waste bag in front of the board. Soon the board was destroyed.

8. How do you feel about stopping people from throwing garbage?

• She feels hurt because people are quarrelling at her.
• They say that it is not her property.
• They deliberately throw garbage in front of her house.
• People listen for 1 or 2 days, they start throwing garbage again.

9. Have you tried talking to the plot owner about this?

No, we do not have his contact number and he hasn’t come here so far.

10. Have you noticed the people who are commonly throwing the waste here?

Mostly the maids who work in apartments nearby and her neighbours throw the garbage here. Some of them throw garbage after she goes inside.

11. Did you face any problems during the rains because of the garbage site next to your house?

• The garbage site started overflowing and the dirty water entered her house.
• Not only water entered the house even the garbage.
• The waste got stuck in the drainage and the drainages were woo zing out.

12. What are the precautionary measures you have taken for this year?

She has increased the height of the compound wall. (Sand)

Interview 2

Shop opposite to site

1. What is your name?

Raghavan

Male/43yrs

2. How long have you been living here?

I have been living here next to my shop for 4 years.

3. Has the garbage site been the same from the time you came here until now?

Yes, it was like this when I moved here.

4. How do you feel about the garbage site opposite to your shop?

It is very unhygienic. There are too many mosquitoes and one big problem is that

It stinks.

5. Have you stopped people from throwing waste there?

Yes, I have but the people refused to listen to me.

6. Were you affected by the garbage site during the rains?

Yes, I was affected-

• The polluted water from the garbage site entered my shop a lot of items were spoilt.
• The waste blocked the drainage hole due to which the water could not flow though the pipes because of which the road was flooded a was an inconvenience for the community.
• I had a loss since the main road was blocked for several months due to the cleaning of the clogged drainage system.

7. Did the corporation take any action?

Yes, the corporation put up a sign board but the people broke down the board in few months.

Interview 3

Person living diagonally opposite

1.What is your name?

Ramesh

Male/32yrs

2.How long have you been living here?

4 years

3.What are the problems you are facing because of that garbage site?

No, I’m not facing any problems because of that.

INTERVIEW 4- Environmentalist

1. What is your name?

Gayathri

Female/45yrs

2. What are the problems caused because of a garbage site?

• Breeding mosquitoes
• Animals falling sick or getting killed
• Infections may be caused

3. What do you think we can do about it?

• Contact the land owner
• Educate people
• Clean the site and build a compound wall

4. Nobody has contact of the land owner?

Then the government should take the land and make good use of it.

5. Won’t people throw it above the compound wall?

They have to pay a fine if they are caught throwing garbage there.

6. Most people say the maids throw garbage, what can we do about that?

The owners should educate them and make sure they do not do it.

This problem can be solved if everyone uses the dustbin.