1. WASTE MANAGEMENT IN SLUMS Almitra H Patel Member, Supreme Court Committee for Solid Waste Management in Class 1 Cities in India almitrapatel@rediffmail.com

2. 2 WASTE COLLECTION IS EASIEST IN SLUMS Slum dwellers are always the most neglected sector for waste collection. They desire and understand the need for a clean environment and the costs of ill health. They are the most willing to cooperate in improved waste management efforts.

3. 3 SLUM DWELLERS ARE THE MOST WILLING TO PAY FOR WASTE MANAGEMENT Despite having lower incomes than other areas, collection is most forthcoming and easiest to collect in slums.

4. 4 FIVE EASY PROVEN METHODS FOR WASTE COLLECTION AND TREATMENT 1, Lorry at the slum entrance 2, Door-to-door collection in handcarts 3, Take-away bins in narrow lanes 4, Shared bio-bins 5, Community bio-bins

5. 5 LORRY AT SLUM ENTRANCE Slum lanes are usually kept clean, but waste usually lies uncollected in large heaps just outside the slum entrance. It takes a lorry 15-20 minutes to load this. Instead, a lorry waits at slum entrance at a fixed time, while helper moves through slum with whistle to announce its arrival. Slum-dwellers come to lorry with their waste. Lorry pickup time and frequency unchanged. So no extra payment is required.

6. 6 DOOR-TO-DOOR COLLECTION IN HANDCARTS This is done in Calcutta’s upgraded slums where lanes are paved and wide enough for movement. Waste is collected in the usual way in hand-carts at a fixed time of day. No payment is required as this replaces earlier lane-sweeping practices.

7. 7 TAKE-AWAY BINS IN NARROW LANES-1 In Mumbai, slum assns appoint youths for cleaning work, before going to college or jobs. First a mass clean-up drive is undertaken. Then the new system is immediately started. 7-8am : narrow open drains are swept clean. 8am : 50-litre bins given by city are placed at path crossings, one per 25 homes or so.

8. 8 TAKE-AWAY BINS IN NARROW LANES-2 8-10 am : waste is carried from each home to nearest bin at residents’ convenience. 10-11 am : All bins are removed and unloaded directly into waiting truck outside slum, and stacked till next day. City’s cooperation in regular and punctual presence of lorry at 10-11am is vital !! Residents willingly pay Re 1 per head or Rs 5 per family. More for shops outside the slum.

9. 9 SHARED BIO-BINS : DHAKA MODEL Waste Concern NGO provides 5-6 families a perforated barrel on a raised base, with compost layer at bottom as a starter bed. Residents must fill only kitchen waste daily in layers not more than ~50mm, for mulch- composting in the barrel. NGO buys the ready compost when barrel is full after 3 months or so. Demand is good and cooperation too, as residents see their waste as valuable.

10. 10 COMMUNITY BIO-BINS - 1 This bio-bin replaced a dirty overflowing waste container. It serves 125 families at Diamond Gdn Chembur, who pay for the program. Segregated waste is loaded daily by door-to- door collectors, bioculture is added & waste is turned.

11. 11 COMMUNITY BIO-BINS - 2 After 15 days, a similar bio-bin is used while the compost in 1st bin matures in 15 more days. Compost is not sold but used in flowerbeds for street beautification. 3 get employed, for an hour a day for dtdoor collection, street and drain cleaning, gardening + composting

12. 12 COMMUNITY BIO-BINS - 3 140 such bio-bins are in use at Kochi on Rupee-A-Day scheme, in good demand for cleanliness in middle-income areas. Residents groups pay for installation of bio-bins. Kudumbashree womens’ self- help groups collect waste door-to-door, put kitchen waste in bio-bin, add culture and turn it. Sale of compost adds to their income. Being tried in slums now.