Boots on the ground

The women waste collection workers of Ambikapur have helped the city manage its solid waste problem

- RICHA SINGH

EVERY MORNING, Shashi I Thanganpara and two of her colleagues visit 200 households in the city of Ambikapur, Chhattisgarh, collect the already segregated waste and mount it on their compartmentalised cycle rickshaws. They then join the 477 other waste collection didis in taking the waste to one of the city's 17 “garbage clinics” for further segregation and processing.

This efficient system is a far cry from around a decade ago, when Ambikapur suffered from poor solid waste management practices. The city had erroneously believed that community bins and periodical waste collection would be enough to manage the garbage, says Ritesh Saini, Nodal Officer, Ambikapur Municipal Corporation (AMC). But the 6.4-hectare dumping ground set up for waste disposal had neither proper liner systems, nor any mechanism for leachate or gas collection. Solid waste was either dumped in the open-choking the sewer system-or burned, releasing toxic emissions. About one-third of the city's 48 wards had employed private players to manage their waste, but any efforts were marred by a lack of public participation. There was a need to change tack.