The one contentious question, or rather, puzzle, that we are all trying to earnestly figure out and make work in the last three months or so is… waste segregation. A most noble thought which would have been a path-breaking initiative, most definitely, in spirit; a solution to (at least some of) our problems, and a first step towards doing our bit for the environment.
Very feel-good it is, for many WhatsApp warriors, who love to outrage about how detrimental it is to pollute, while ordering yet another little thing from one of the e-commerce websites!
However, the reality is far from being so utopian. This dream of expecting that all the waste segregation will happen as soon as it is instructed, is frankly, a bit of a nightmare… especially for the poor helps who are doing the actual job of segregating, and the housekeepers.
It is, no doubt, a process that will take time for the citizens to get used to specially in a town where there is a natural repulsion to following rules. While it is good to have a process, it is equally important to facilitate in that process evolution.
Simply segregating waste into dry and wet categories is only the beginning; it will be complex, especially when you have products which are a mix of both categories, like a teabag. Segregation, in the long run, perhaps can also create a sense of responsibility among residents when they see the waste that is generated in a day.
However, in the short term, it requires some more thinking through and pragmatism to help succeed. Thus, kudos to the BOM and the Housekeeping Committee for hearing the residents’ complaints and pleas and continuously striving for a better waste management process.
As they say, old habits die hard, and need time to unlearn! We’ll get there; just need to keep our efforts and spirits high!
