Cleanliness
Recognised as 1 of the 6 most dynamic Swachh Bharat citizens’ projects by the PMO
Swachh Bharat Programme
Chennai, with a teeming population of 10.5 million, generates 3,200 tonnes of waste every day. In response to the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call to all citizens for a “Swachh Bharat” or “Clean India”, Rialto chose a portion (about 1 sq. km) of the rapidly growing neighbourhood by the Thiruvanmiyur beachfront in February 2015.
Spearheaded by Chander Swamy, the effort gained momentum very soon. A number of residents signed up voluntarily, contributing generously in time and resources. In the 5 years since the project was started a number of tasks have been completed, many of them simultaneously.
Garbage management
72 small and large garbage bins have been set up on the beachfront. This includes 18 large garbage bins placed on the residential streets. 13 workers of Ramky Enviro Engineers, the conservancy agency, empty the small bins and sacks into the big bins. This activity is tracked in a register twice a day. A Corporation of Chennai (CoC) compactor truck completes the last task in the chain, the final clearance of the big bins, every night. The bins are numbered to make it easy to monitor clearing. The Ramky workers’ attendance, both in and out, is also tracked in a daily register. Regular attendance is rewarded every quarter. In fact, all 22 CSR activities are tracked regularly.
The first Sunday of every month is designated ‘deep cleaning’ day: for clearing litter embedded in the sands and behind and around benches and tree guards; weeding around plants and power distribution boxes; removing debris. All of this is done, rain or scorching sun, by the Ramky workers. 90 Rialto volunteers take turns in batches of 30 every quarter to supervise the activity. Three meals for the entire crew are paid for generously by a group of committed residents and delivered on site.
The 19 rainwater harvesting drains are cleaned and flushed every fortnight.
Trees and shrubs
A total of 415 trees contributed by Rialto employees and the Forest Department were planted in 2015 in the entire area, with the beachfront alone accounting for 264. After the fierce cyclone of December 2016 felled a number of trees, Rialto planted hundreds of saplings and ornamental shrubs in front of apartment buildings and along the walkways.
Rialto has provided specially designed, individual polyurethane supports for all the trees and fitted tree guards made of a sturdy mesh. The company also supplies organic solid and liquid manure to enrich the sandy soil, and provides re-cycled water from the company’s factory. During the monsoon and cyclone-prone seasons, all beachfront trees are protected with a re-usable shield.
Street and beach lighting
Rialto has fitted 51 LED lights and two high-mast lights along the beachfront to ensure that the area is uniformly well-lit in the evenings, especially for seniors, evening walkers and the playground operators. The lights are numbered so that they are easy to monitor. Rialto teams regularly conduct checks of the 27 distribution boxes. Periodically, they clean and paint all equipment and weed the earth around the boxes.
Rainwater harvesting
In December 2015, Chennai was hit by torrential monsoon rains, causing devastation not seen since 1918. Shock waves ran through the entire city and suburbs, including Thiruvanmiyur which being a low lying area was heavily waterlogged.
After the rains abated, Rialto, along with residents, led a project to put in a zero-error rainwater harvesting system before the next monsoon. This was to run the entire length of New Beach Road, taking into account all gradients.
Residents with expertise in civil engineering contributed ideas and drawings. The final blueprint provided for rainwater to flow directly into each residential plot of land. The plans were presented to the Corporation of Chennai which readily included all these features in the construction of a new system and re-laying of the road. During the following monsoon New Beach Road was completely dry within a couple of hours of heavy rainfall. By the end of the rainy season the water table rose from below 26 feet to 12 feet across the entire neighbourhood.
Public toilets
In 2015, the CoC and the Gates Foundation co-opted Rialto to build and maintain two free public toilets near the north end of the beach. Rialto has put in a submersible pump and an overhead tank for continuous water supply. A paid attendant cleans the toilets daily and ensures overall sanitary conditions. Rialto has also engaged a weekly pest control service to ensure infestation-free surroundings, and has planted tall shrubbery around the toilet to provide a modicum of privacy.
Vendor zone, car free weekends
In 2016, with the help of the Corporation of Chennai and Chennai Traffic Police, the vendors were persuaded to move to a designated zone, in a dead end street leading off the beach. At first they resisted but later began doing even better business than before!
At the same time, again with the help of the Chennai Corporation and Traffic Police, a weekend car-free beachfront was created.
Recognition from the PMO
The Thiruvanmiyur Beach CSR initiative was listed among the six most dynamic Swachh Bharat (‘Clean India’) citizens’ projects by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Office in 2015.
A team from the PMO paid a surprise visit to the area again in 2017 and reported that not only was the project alive, it had grown even more robust since the team’s first visit two years earlier.
