Period of Co-operation Extended
Dec 16
Memorandum of Understanding exchanged between Clean Coonoor and the Coonoor Municipality, extending activities at the Waste Management Park, by another three years!
World Soil Day
Dec 05
Clean Coonoor with the MHO of the Coonoor Municipality had an interactive session with children at Christian Mission Service on the occasion of World Soil Day – 5 December focusing on this year’s theme
– ‘Keep soil alive, Protect soil biodiversity’.
Teaching young minds the art of enriching our gardens by composting kitchen waste.
A Warm Welcome
Nov 09
Thanks Vidhya Prajwal & Prajwal Acharya
The Beginning of a Partnership
Nov 05
Visit by the Nilekanis of Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies, hopefully a prelude to a lasting partnership.
An Year of Solid Waste Management
Oct 31
A year has rolled by since the Waste Management Park became functional at Ottupattarai in Coonoor, with the District Collector Ms Innocent Divya inaugurating the facility.
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The unit has been functioning as a Mixed Stream Processing Facility ever since, and has so far dealt with 8,70,603 kgs of Municipal Solid Waste, thanks to the co-operation extended by the Coonoor Municipality.
The Municipality and Clean Coonoor has mangled to sort and recycle 3,23,518 kgs, and safely dispose the rest as per Pollution Control Board norms.
But the picture isn’t as rosy as it may appear. The bulk of the recyclable waste handled comprised plastics, around 1,32,474 kgs, representing nearly 40% of the total. Nearly 80% of the plastic waste was of low value, and which can only be disposed of by tertiary and quaternary recycling methods, which are not readily available everywhere.
Consumer awareness seems to be the need of the hour, for discouraging unnecessary plastic packaging that are hazardous, can go a long way in tackling the menace of plastic pollution.
Clean Coonoor is presently trying to set up a pyrolysis plant in this district, and has also worked out an action plan, which will help to dispose the nearly 5 tonne load of plastic that is generated on a daily basis.
We take this opportunity to thank the Municipal staff and officials, and the host of volunteers and well wishers, for all the help and cooperation extended.
Trash Art
Oct 17
A different activity at the waste management facility, a change from the routine, ‘Installation Art Day,’ where participants are free to pick up resources of their choice from amongst the waste.
Streeter on Anti-Littering
Oct 02
A well enacted street play on anti-littering by the returnees to mark the Birth Anniversary of the Father of the Nation.
Beautification of Derelict Walls
Sep 20
Work of beautification of derelict walls and revetments began, depicting themes such as wildlife, heritage, civic issues & such. At one point the District Collector, and the Monitoring Officer, as well joined in the fun.
Beautification of Bins
Work from Home Conditions enabled multitalented expatriate Coonoorian returnees to devote their spare time in a slew of activities. This idea of beautification of garbage bins thought up by them, was chiefly to remove the stigma attached to waste.
Demo-Wall constructed from Baled Plastic
The Coonoor Municipality completed the construction of a demo-wall made of baled plastics generated as waste within the town. The exercise demonstrated that at a pinch, these bales can also be used to shore up breaches and act as temporary revetments, in this town which is prone to mudslides during heavy rains.
Additional Burner Commissioned
The newly erected 1 tonne burner being commissioned by the senior most employee of Clean Coonoor, Tmt. Bharatha Matha, on the occasion of Independence Day, at the Waste Management Park. A much needed piece of equipment the commissioning of which was delayed due to the lockdown.
Joint Cleanup at Tiger Hill Phase – 2
When beautiful skies and young enthusiastic volunteers turn up on a Saturday morning to clean up their town it’s a lovely feeling to the weekend and we see a ray of hope for the future… Gen next 
But sadly we had to pick nearly a ton of glass among other trash once again like last Saturday over a very very small stretch. It’s disheartening to see our hillsides and ecosensitive forest zones so littered with no sensitivity!!
Joint Cleanup at Tiger Hill – 1
Braving the weather on a cold and misty Saturday morning Coonoor had quiet a crowd of young volunteers come out and clean up a section of Tiger Hill and collected an astounding 700 kgs of glass bottles among other trash!!!
Thank you to Coonoor Municipal staff for the support, and as always and Rotary Club of Nilgiris for the refreshments.
A heartwarming appreciation of a very traditional kind
A big thank you to the kind gentleman who took the time and trouble, to hand write a note and post it in today’s busy digital world!
Heritage Gallery Opened
A Heritage Gallery was set up by our volunteers in a building belonging to the municipality. It showcases the history of the town through copies of paintings, lithos, old photographs, and other artefacts. The Gallery was thrown open to the public by the elected representative of Coonoor Assembly Constituency, Mr. Shanthi Ramu in the presence of the Coonoor Municipal commissioner Mr. K. Balu and MHO Dr. J. Raghunath.
History of Coonoor highlighted as murals
A pictorial timeline about the growth of Coonoor was depicted as murals on a blank revetment near the taxi stand, taking into advantage the prevailing lockdown conditions. Our heartfelt thanks to our two budding artists Vidhya and Prajwal and all other volunteers who participated.
From Garbage Dump to Garden
Clean Coonoor has finally managed to makeover the region adjacent to the revamped Materials Recovery Facility at Ottupattarai, into something which resembles a garden. With the annual floral carnival at Ooty kept in limbo, hope the viewers find the few photographs satisfactory.
It should be kept in mind that way back in 1869, the year in which ‘The Agricultural and Horticultural Society of the Neilgherries’ came into being under the auspices of the first commissioner Mr. Breeks, the forerunner of the current day mela was held in October, not in the Government Gardens but at Stonehouse. The affair was continued year after year with exhibits of fruits, flowers and vegetables being showcased in the Government Gardens and elsewhere, the marketplace even being used on occasions. So we reckon showcasing an erstwhile garbage dump, however amateurish the attempt may be, isn’t out of place.
The Show Must Go On
“The show must go on,” is often used to convey the idea that an event or activity must continue even if there are problems or difficulties. This nineteenth century phrase and has its roots in the circus, for when an animal escaped or a performer was injured, it was a point of honour for the ringmaster and the band to try and keep things going to prevent a general panic. We thank the District Collector for taking the trouble and visiting the Waste Management Facility, despite her busy schedule pertaining to the Covid-19 Pandemic. Her interaction with the workers was a real morale booster.
International Women’s Day 2020
More Laurels for Clean Coonoor – Managing Trustee, honoured on the occasion of International Women’s Day by Akhil Bharatiya Terapanth Mahila Mandal, Landun, Rajasthan
Ornamental Garden set up at Landfill Site
A small ornamental garden was set up over an emptied landfill cell with the aim of changing the way people think about waste management.
A Learning Tour
Representatives from the Municipalities of 3 African Nations visiting the Resource Recovery Centre to study our methods of dealing with Dry Waste. Thanks to the RDO Trust, Aruvankadu for having facilitated this session.
Commendation from the Highest Level
Teamwork over personal ambition, is the reason for the accolade bestowed upon the Municipal Corporation and Clean Coonoor, for their joint efforts in the creation of the Waste Management Park at Ottupattarai on 02 Feb 2020. The words of appreciation were made by none other than the Chairperson, State Monitoring Committee of the National Green Tribunal for Solid Waste Management in Tamil Nadu, the Honourable Justice Dr. P. Jyothimani, during his visit to the facility.
We’ve got to move beyond the idea that the public and private sectors are at odds, it’s a partnership, not a battle.
71st Republic Day Celebrations – Coonoor Municipal Corporation
Jan 26
The republic day celebrations across the country, happens to fall just a week ahead of the day, when the Mahatma visited a small hamlet within the municipal limits of Coonoor in 1934.
The settlement near Ottupattarai was chiefly inhabited by those of the depressed classes, who were then known as conservancy workers or more vulgarly by the insensitive as scavengers. The man who is known to have remarked, that, “So long as you do not take the broom and the bucket in your hand, you-cannot make your towns and cities clean,” addressed the inhabitants, stating, that though their occupation may be demeaned by their fellow humans, it was noble in the eyes of God.
As a mark of recognition of the invaluable services rendered by the Sanitary Staff employed by the Coonoor Municipal Corporation, and as a first instance, the honour of unfurling the Tricolour at the Municipal Office premises today, fell upon the senior most Sanitary Worker, Tmt Parvathy Samiyappan.
All kudos to the Municipal Commissioner Thiru K. Balu and his staff, for the entire event was organised in such a way as to follow the words of the Father of the Nation, both in letter and spirit.
Ringing in the New Year the Clean Coonoor Way
Jan 01
