Interview with Mr. Waste - The Prologue

Dear Reader,

This is a classified interview with Mr. Waste that I came across, which i am slipping in the blog. It was burried deep down so that you guys do not learn the truth about Mr. Waste, which is being projected as Villan these days, but infact as the interview reveals - our Mr. Waste was destined to be a hero. I don't know how long this interview would be online - so if you have come across it.. pass it on..

------------------------------------------------------------------------

The interview: From repoters diary...

The interview is being done on some undisclosed location near the Solid Landfill site near Pirana. Mr. Waste was very specific about the secrecy of the talks... so there were no lights and the crew was specificially told not to take any photographs or shoot any video. As the crew moved to the location... passing mountains and mountains of waste... in a small valley.. a figure emerged.. filthy, smelly and not at all like that of an Hero at all.

Repoter: So.. we are being told that we are going to interview a Hero.. but you

dont seem like one....

Mr. Waste: "Either one Dies a Hero, or one Lives long enough so see oneself become a Villan"

(This one line from Mr. Waste summarized his entire story)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

To be continued......

Democracy - Your choice to have a clean city or not

Dear Reader,

A Muncipal Corporation maintains the city through taxes. Logically tax for x service, make that service better, but when a clean city is demanded by the residents - it becomes imperative to ask does the corporation collect tax for cleanliness, better environment, clean streets, clean roads etc and even if in some case it may collect then whether it is sufficient for the city or not.

It is reported that India recycles 60% of its plastic, which may be a wonder to you - eventhough this figure would be reducing every day as we use plastic more and more, we hardly see a complete parallel municipal corporation running along our streets which are responsible for recycling majority of this plastic. This municipal corporation does not depend on our taxes, but is a self sustained enterprise (no matter how we see them), a far more gracious process. This corporation is made of rag pickers, radiwalas, recyclers etc, whose bread and butter is depended on our waste. The entire thing is well evident, but we barely ackknowledge it.

On the other side, the funds spend by the exisitng municipal corporation on "Clean City, Green City" hordings if diverted to more productive use may actually make our city atleast bit more greener.

As democracy give every citizen a right to select their leader, democracy also gives you the right to select the process which would be in a better position to keep your city clean and green.

So can we make a choice - A self sustained process or a tax dependent system to keep our city clean and green

Let us have a Green Event

Dear Reader,

Have we ever noticed how much of a waste lover we are. Recently the marriage season has got completed and everyone us would have been to one or other occasion. If we observe, it would be worth seeing how much of plastic and other waste we generate during these functions without ever feeling even a pinch of guilt about it. Even if any one of us intends to change the way the waste is generated there is a sense of complete helplessness about it. Neither of the agency involved in the occasion is ready to take the responsibility for the waste, which is collectivley transferred to the muncipial corporation.

In developed countries like Aus, US and other places concept of zero waste event is emerging, wherein the waste generated is very low and whatever is generated is recycled/reused. The catch is the the agency which manage zero waste event, charge a marginal amount for that.

Are we aready to pay that amount, which would ultimately end up saving water, energy, air etc. And if we are not able to pay for such zero waste event, then are we even aware enough to ask the agencies about their waste management practices - and select only those who are more environment friendly.

Going Green At womens day

Dear Reader,
First of all let me thank the girl for allowing me to photograph her, these are the sailent eco- warriors i would tell which keep saving the earth from the waste that we create every day.....
Yesterday was womens day, Now, what womens day has to do with going green. I may be worng but following points are definitely worth considering:
1. Majority of the rag pickers are women in a very small age group
2. The waste management in any household is a womens affair
3. Women hold a key to majority of buying decisions from vegetables, groccery etc.
Thus if even a 1% part of our womens polulation decide to reduce their solid waste by even 50% imagine the impact it would have on the environment, economy and society.
And there are number of way in which this targated solid waste can be reduced:
1. Composting kitchen waste into manure
2. Segregating plastic waste and bundling them separately
3. Reducing use of plastic bags for shoping, instead opting for paper bags
These are only few, but definitely actionable...