The year 2024 had been quite an eventful one for the organisation, witnessing 10 years of caring for the environment, the first half decade as a citizen’s body and the next half as a registered non-profit. The year as well hallmarks 5 years of Municipal Waste Management as a Public Private Partnership.
In addition to the chief area of focus, 2024 also witnessed a resurgence of activities on other fronts – the restoration of the silted up Wellington Lake, the pre-monsoon cleanup of the Coonoor River, resumption of neighbourhood cleanups, and school activities being a few instances.
Our activities on the the waste management front have led to a CO2 equivalent Emission Savings of 1,541 tons by preventing about 4,758 tons of municipal waste from either being interred into landfills or from being openly dumped.
Although the achievements are impressive, given the ecological sensitiveness of this district and the focus of activity of this organisation being nonexclusive, non-rivalled and essential – complacency has no place in 2025.
The year ahead will focus on addressing operational complexities peculiar to this hilly terrain, attending to sustainability and replicability concerns, stepping up activities pertaining to advocacy, communication and social mobilisation, and in building sound administrative and political commitments.