“People outside north Chennai picture it as an arid region lacking in greenery. I wanted to change this perception,” says Vaidehi Rajasekhar, a resident of Kolathur. She made a beginning in her backyard, two months ago, when she started composting her kitchen waste with a bin set up on the terrace of her apartment in M.N. Nagar. The compost nourishes the plants in her terrace garden. “I just received my first yield of compost and have started the next batch. I was apprehensive about what I would get, and was delighted when I saw fine black powder that did not produce any odour. I have started with a few pots of vegetable plants, including aubergine. I plan to expand my garden soon,” she says. Vaidehi is now getting the other residents at her eight-unit apartment complex to adopt a green lifestyle. “My husband is in-charge of the maintenance of the apartment, which helped me spread my green message. Making use of the monthly meeting at the complex, I connected with the women in the apartment and explained to them what I was trying to do. Many of them believed in the cause,” she recalls. Wasting no time, Vaidehi placed bins on each floor of the complex. Residents have to put their kitchen waste in these bins. Every morning, Vaidehi collects the bins and deposits the waste in the composting bin. After washing the garbage bins clean, she puts them back on the respective floors. Future plans Vaidehi is also working towards making the apartment complex a zero-waste zone. She is collecting all the recyclable waste and giving it away to waste collectors and agencies. “I want to see these green practices extending to the streets and then covering the entire ward. I hope to work with residents who advocate such green practices,” she says. And she has already begun the process. “Whenever and wherever I run an errand, I ask shopkeepers to stop using plastic covers and swap them with eco-friendly bags. I always carry my cloth bag when I go shopping,” she adds. Inspired by the work of the Solid Waste Management People’s Forum in Mylapore, Vaidehi plans to start a similar group in Kolathur. Vaidehi can be contacted at 95001 87175.

Stay updated with all the Chennai Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.