Waste segregation, community cleanliness methods: Housing societies maintain hygiene amid lockdown

With waste management becoming a concern in housing societies amid the coronavirus lockdown, environmentalists are suggesting segregation to avoid the daily accumulation

With waste management becoming a concern in housing societies amid the coronavirus lockdown, environmentalists are suggesting segregation to avoid the daily accumulation of garbage.

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The housing societies are also providing gloves, masks and sanitisers to house-keeping staff and resorting to community cleanliness techniques to keep their surroundings clean.

“Now is the time when individual families can start composting their food and dry waste to avoid collecting a lot of garbage,” said Natasha Dcosta, from Start Upcycling Now (SUN), an initiative which promotes recycling.

She added that every household should ensure that food waste is not collected in a dustbin but is converted into compost instead.

“By mixing all food waste in a separate bucket with soil, each household can make compost which can be used as manure. This also cuts down the garbage generated every day,” said Dcosta.

Many societies are also encouraging members to follow basic protocol of covering mouths, using gloves and sanitisers for safety. “We have allowed the security and housekeeping staff to stay in our building. While society members are being encouraged to keep their surroundings clean, the housekeeping staff has been provided with adequate gloves, masks and sanitisers to ensure hygiene,” said Sudha Shenoy, a resident of a society in Andheri (West).

Resident societies have also formed WhatsApp groups to ensure the premises are disinfected regularly. “While the women are reminding all residents to help maintain cleanliness, the men took turns to clean the society garden and disinfect the same,” said Bharathi Karkera, resident of Ekta Bhoomi Gardens in Borivli (East).

How to make compost at home

*Keep aside a bucket (100 litres) with soil at the bottom and a pipe attached to its cover

*Put waste like vegetable and fruit peels, extra cooked food etc, in this bucket

*Stir the bucket atleast twice a day. The contents will turn into compost on their own, which can then easily be used as manure