Earth story

Despite the hype about Earth Day, one can hardly get glimpses of the earth in the city. Incessant traffic jams, noise and air pollution, foraging cattle... the woes of the Chennaiite are many. But how do we combat them? GEETA PADMANABHAN offers some solutions.

I HAVE A dream. I think about it all my waking hours. I dream of sleeping soundly without noise from silencer-less autos and mobikes, cacophony of reversing cars, barking dogs and hurtling water tankers.

I yearn to breathe well. "Wind, oh!" I say and keep all my windows firmly shut. Else, there is a thick layer of dust all over the place in no time at all.

I wish for a good, clean supply of water. The water that trickles (if it does) from my tap is reddish brown in colour and for drinking, I buy what comes in jerry cans and boil it.

I ache to be able to walk along the street to my grocer without being threatened by murderous traffic, pre-construction material, post-construction debris, foraging cattle, heaps of mud, pot- holes, tiny temples and parked vehicles.

I take my 'Earth Day' dream to M. B. Nirmal of Exnora.

"Earth Day in Chennai?" he laughs. "We don't get to see the earth in Chennai!" He then unveils a blueprint for a "Singara Chennai". "Our priority is a solid waste disposal system. Every day, 3,300 mt. of waste is dumped in the water bodies of Pallikaranai and Kodungaiyur.

Compostable waste should go back to the earth and recyclable waste should be sent to factories. Sanitary landfills should be constructed to receive green garbage. At every stage, waste should be put to use. Leftover food should go to the poor, unsold vegetables to cattle."

Multi-storeyed buildings are a must for Chennai. (Nirmal is moving into one). If you don't conquer the sky space, agricultural land will be the casualty. Expansion in Ambattur is gobbling up 1,200 acres of prime, fertile land.

There should be strict laws against filling up tanks. Twenty two tanks have been filled up in Kodambakkam alone for construction work. Storm water should be diverted to these tanks. Now all the storm water is let off into sewage pipes. While levying fines for buildings without open corridors, let us give tax incentives to those who comply.

Sewage should be treated and directed to Adyar, Buckingham and Cooum (ABC). Earth being the best recycling plant, the ABC will soon be water reservoirs. We must auction chunks of riverbanks to corporate houses and use the money to clean up the ABC.

The major air pollutant in the city is carbon monoxide emission during traffic jams. A solution would be to ban all two-stroke engines and declare places like Pondy Bazaar as walker zones. Construct multi-level parking lots at both ends and have a tram running between the ends. The upper storeys of all corporation buildings should be earmarked for parking. Make sure that every marriage hall and shopping complex has its own underground parking lot.

The authorities should take an inventory of all public open spaces and lease them out to individuals or corporate houses willing to maintain a park. If not, they could be used as temporary parking lots.

Let there be one Beach Authority under an IAS officer to preserve our stretches of beach. Now the sea-sand belongs to the PWD and roads come under the purview of the Highways Department. So neither takes responsibility!

Bring down all the hoardings. They endanger lives, mar the beauty of the skyline, distract motorists and block free flow of air. Tall hoardings are seen in several parts of the city. How come the authorities have turned a blind eye to them?

Evict all cattle from the city. They are cooped up in pitiable conditions. Create more milk colonies in the periphery. Make them viable by establishing bio-gas plants and milk marketing routes. Build homes for dairy farmers and there will be no problem in shifting them. For other stray animals well, it is ABC again- animal birth control!

Raise your voice against noise! We must see that the use of cone amplifiers is banned in the city. Rules on time restrictions must be enforced. And we need a prolonged and sympathetic campaign against auto noise. We have to appeal to their associations.

(Phew!) "My dream is to make this city livable for the common man. If we cannot create heaven, let us reduce the rigour of hell and work together for a sustainable Chennai."

My friend Chitra is worried about the deteriorating infrastructure. "I am not happy about my children growing up in this city. Are the streets safe for them? There seems to be no co-ordination among the various agencies. The city is a Paradise for shopping and entertainment. It has jumped into the fast lane of competition. But what about everyday life?"

Marketing executive Kailasam wants rigid traffic control. He wonders why roadside fish markets and mechanised fish carts are still around. He also asks for a vastly improved public transport system.

Vijju, a third-year B.Com student, is emphatic that good education is the key to solve Chennai's problems. "If children are given a good dose of civic sense they will certainly persuade their parents to take action. Chennai of the 21st century gives a lot of exposure to teenagers. Their awareness level is high. Given the opportunity and direction, youngsters will set things right in their own localities."

If she could have her way, the pro-active chief of the Pollution Control Board, Mrs.Sheela Rani Chunkath, would ban all plastic from the face of Chennai.

"We have moved into a 'use and throw' culture. Plastic bags are burnt in landfills exuding cancer-causing fumes. Flying plastic bags are a traffic hazard. The municipal authorities should pass resolutions against these.

"Shopping bags should be made of cloth and jute. Plastic plates, cups and thin sheets should be replaced by stainless steel. I know plastic bags and cups are convenient. But we need to think in terms of the future," she pauses and adds, "Ooty and Kodaikanal are now plastic-litter free, you know."

Thermofogging has become fashionable in the city.

I hear vegetables are dipped in insect repellents. Do we realise what these pesticides can do to our health and surroundings? Bees, butterflies and sparrows have vanished from some of the once-green areas in the city.

Cars now come fitted with diesel engines. With 11 lakh vehicles in the city, this will certainly add to air pollution. LPG as a motor fuel is the only sensible option.

It is the people who should facilitate the changes. Every house and apartment building must have a compost pit and a rain harvest mechanism. Collecting water during the recent showers would have helped the city a great deal. And every owner should maintain his vehicle emission-free.

People must report instances of pollution to the Board. If we get together to create smog, we can also make a concerted effort to mend our ways. My dream is to see a clean, green Chennai. I shall do my best to realise it. Unless we do our bit, 'Singara Chennai' will remain just a dream.

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