Pallavaram Cantonment Board Implements New Waste Segregation System for 650 Local Shops

The St. Thomas Mount-cum-Pallavaram Cantonment Board has introduced a new Solid and Liquid Resource Management (SLRM) waste collection system for 650 commercial establishments in Pallavaram. Over the last week, the board has implemented a shop attendance and grading system to hold local businesses accountable for waste segregation along the commercial stretch extending from Le Royal Meridian Hotel to the Pallavaram bus stop.

Under this decentralized "Vellore Model," designed by waste management expert C. Srinivasan, green tri-cycles patrol the commercial streets to collect waste at high frequencies. Shops are marked on an attendance sheet based on whether they hand over properly segregated waste to the collection staff.

The project employs 14 sorting workers who segregate recyclables and compost biodegradable waste at a secondary segregation unit located less than a kilometer away. To prevent foul odors caused by anaerobic decomposition, all organic waste is processed within 12 hours of collection.

The collection intervals are tailored to the type of waste generated by each establishment. Workers collect waste every three hours from shops selling non-vegetarian items, every four hours from bulk generators like markets, and every six hours from hotels, restaurants, marriage halls, and roadside vendors.

According to C. Srinivasan, the SLRM project director and consultant, the rapid collection and processing cycle ensures that organic waste is spread in aerobic compost beds mixed with cow dung slurry before it can decompose in closed plastic bags. This method avoids bad odors and ensures no waste is sent to open dumping grounds, while generating revenue through recycling and composting.

Vinod Vikneswaran A., Chief Executive Officer of the St. Thomas Mount-cum-Pallavaram Cantonment Board, stated that the board operates independently of the Greater Chennai Corporation and the Tambaram City Municipal Corporation. He noted that while door-to-door collection was previously in place, processing non-biodegradable waste remained a challenge. Under the new SLRM model, non-biodegradable materials will be sent to industries to be recycled as raw materials.

The infrastructure for the project, including the red and green collection buckets and tricycles, was funded by the Punjab Association, which recently established an arts and science college in the Cantonment area.