Have you ever wondered about the benefits of Waste management? Leaving aside the satisfaction of doing Mother Earth a good turn by composting and re-cycling, I landed myself with a bunch of interesting people with whom I definitely wanted to further my acquaintance. With this in mind, I visited Anu C Prakash (C-39) to find a suitable area for leaf composting in C Block.
What I witnessed was, both appalling as well as saddening. A lush green area with mixed vegetation of grasses and trees was now buried under huge mounds of Construction and Demolition Waste. A towering tree which had boasted of a green magnificence, lay decaying on the ground. Another tall, naked tree trunk, jutting upwards, was a mute witness of the ravaged landscape. It was shocking and depressing to see how the green lung around C Block had been devastated. The thriving plant life had been mercilessly crushed under heaps of garbage and filth.
Carcasses of decaying trees, dark patches of burnt grass and littered surroundings left Anu and me downcast and dejected, knowing full well how the backlash of the piles of Waste would impact the health of all, due to the contamination of the soil and groundwater by the leachate. As it is, we are on the road to killing ourselves, our families, our children and future generations.
However, as we were leaving as if on cue, a peacock appeared and sauntered towards the remains of a clump of trees. Anu and I stood transfixed, as we looked upon a ray of hope; a sign that all is not lost.
It became clear to us that if we all decide to transform our habits to keep our surroundings clean and healthy, we can surely make a difference. This is in keeping with “Kaizen”, the Japanese method for transforming habits, one small step at a time.
by Dr Savita Nagpal ( B 86 South City1)
