We are a passionate group of Eco Warriors who are committed to protecting the environment by co-creating sustainable communities. One of the biggest issues in most developing and developed countries is that of handling solid waste. In fact, Chennai city alone produces 5000 tons of garbage every day! When all the waste is mixed and collected at the source, it is not only hazardous to handle but also makes it useless for any further scientific processing. Mixed waste is typically thrown in dump yards or burnt, resulting in land, water, and air pollution.
Solid Waste Management
Namma Ooru Foundation (NOF) is on a mission to change the way waste is disposed of from households, businesses, and institutions. We believe that the best solution to the solid waste management crisis is to manage waste at the source.
NOF’s end-to-end solution for smart solid waste management is aimed at converting urban spaces into near Zero Waste Zones. Be it a residential community, educational institution, corporate office, place of worship, or a restaurant, we believe that every space needs to be sensitive to the waste it generates, reduces its non-recyclable waste, and handle the disposal responsibly.
The solution for each project is unique as every client has variance in the waste generated and issues faced. We support our clients with end-to-end solutions right from infrastructure to training of the stakeholders.
Our solutions include (but not limited to) the following.
- Providing unique end-to-end solutions for intelligent garbage disposal.
- Helping people with segregating our 2 bins 1 bag kit.
- Roping in recyclers who pick up dry waste for recycling from the doorstep.
- Helping people compost at home with a user-friendly and hassle-free composting kit.
- Educating people on the different types of waste and the consequence of mixing.
- Offering knowledge and support through WhatsApp, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and the NOF website.
- Conducting workshops on sustainable alternatives.
- Creating resources such as videos and reading materials to give step-by-step instructions on a variety of topics to support the NOF mission.
Most of this garbage ends up in landfills as mixed waste. Mixed waste is a combination of
- Organic waste that can be composted,
- Dry waste that can be recycled,
- E-waste that can be recycled or carefully destroyed
- Sanitary Waste (Rejects)
Rain Water Harvesting
Every drop of water saved is a precious resource for us. People are not aware of where their water is coming from, how much reserve there is, how much they are using every day and wasted without us being aware of it. In a water-starved city like Chennai, where our water resources are limited, it becomes imperative that our citizens are aware, and actively conserve water.
Namma Ooru Foundation contributes by
- Imparting technical know-how about RWH pits and how to maintain them.
- Creating awareness about the benefits of recharging the groundwater and saving rainwater.
- Involving the community and addressing the issue locally by bringing RWH pit makers, experts and volunteers together in a community initiative.
Namma Ooru Foundation in partnership with Rain Centre (Akash Ganga Trust) is supporting the community to understand water sources and issues faced in those areas with a project to collect and assimilate data. Our work involves –
- Collecting data on the water resources available.
- Identifying lakes, ponds, and rivers in Chennai and assimilating the related information.
- Roping in communities to rescue ponds and lakes that have been encroached upon.
- Creating awareness on sources of water pollution, and why conserving lakes and ponds is critical for our wellbeing.
The clamor for Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) reaches a crescendo every time the rains fail and when the situation improves it is erased from our collective memories. The government put its might behind RWH by making it compulsory for every house and complex to construct and maintain pits. However, in early 2019, when Chennai reached the critical situation of having zero groundwater, a survey said that only 40-50% of buildings have a functioning RWH pit.
NOF supports the community to replenish groundwater and collect it during the time of plentiful rain so that later in the year people can be less dependent on outside sources for their water needs. We believe that our main source of water is in the sky rather than under the ground.
Increasing Green Cover
Trees are not just our lungs but also help hold the soil together, prevent excess loss of water due to evaporation, and prevent the ground from overheating. Rapid urbanization, natural calamities like the Vardah cyclone have resulted in the loss of We help to increase the city’s green cover. To add to the problem the government and the citizens have not taken the adequate initiative to replace the lost green cover.
Namma Ooru Foundation is conscious about the impact of the reducing green cover and working with communities –
- We help communities identify the type of trees that will best suit the area and the location where they can be planted.
- We help communities with saplings and local labour.
- We impart know-how on tree planting, how to nurture and maintain them.
- We involve children in the nurturing of saplings, to give them a feeling of ownership and care.
Reducing Carbon Footprint
Changes in the past four decades are leading us toward an environmental disaster of epic proportion. The enormous build-up and dependence on plastics and electronics is not choking the world but is also increasing the carbon footprints to dangerous levels. Tamilnadu has a population of 7 crores and Chennai alone accounts for over one crore people and unchecked consumption levels, which spikes the city’s carbon footprints to alarming levels.
At Namma Ooru Foundation we believe that we can positively impact the environment by controlling and reducing our carbon footprint. We support this initiative by –
- Giving people suggestions on go-green lifestyle changes.
- Organizing awareness campaigns on how to reduce carbon footprints
Community Building
Trees are not just our lungs but also help hold the soil together, prevent excess loss of water due to evaporation, and prevent the ground from overheating. Rapid urbanization, natural calamities like the Vardah cyclone have resulted in the loss of We help to increase the city’s green cover. To add to the problem the government and the citizens have not taken the adequate initiative to replace the lost green cover.
All initiatives of Namma Ooru Foundation stem from the basic belief that without community involvement nothing is possible. Whatever we do, we strive to bring communities together so that through community building we can make all our goals possible.
- All our projects are executed by making communities come together.
- We are making all our solutions sustainable by establishing local chapters
