With 27 leaf-litter bins, this neighbourhood in Chennai was ready for Cyclone Ditwah

Around the time this article was being walked to the press, cyclonic storm Ditwah was still gentle on Chennai. It had conducted a dress rehearsal though, shaking the trees with mild intensity. One knew what was in the offing. And the images of what is to come paraded across the mind’s eye. It would get windier, and under duress, the avenue trees would weep, shedding green tears. An out-of-season shedding — in Chennai, the dry season when deciduous trees relinquish their old rags is still some distance away — it would cause streets to be matted with wet leaves. In the days immediately after the storm, the decaying vegetative matter will be felt by the nostrils of morning walkers. Conservancy workers would sweep in, gather the leaves in small heaps. In some neighbourhoods, the heaps would be promptly carted away in vehicles. In some others, the heaps would tarry a day or two longer, the vehicles not showing up. On five streets in Kotturpuram, one would expect the script to be different and refreshingly distinct. The leaves would not leave the streets. The heaps would be deposited inside 27 leaf litter bins stationed by the five streets, and allowed to turn into compost, with periodic watering by a gardener to aid the composting process. The compost, harvested in cycles, will be distributed to residents, who will use it for their plants, thereby closing the loop.

The ready-made plan to deal with leaves that fall to the ground in this neighbourhood is years old, and it was scripted by Nawab Gardens Residents Welfare Association (NGRWA).

An initiative started by a resident welfare association can wither away for want of sustained watering particularly when the RWA’s reins have changed hands many a time. In a slightly better scenario, the initiative might be alive, but diseased displaying unmistakable signs of ill-health, as unmistakable as leaf spot disease. But at the five streets in Kotturpuram, this initiative is putting out fresh verdant leaves. The bins stationed across these streets to gather leaf litter numbered 24 the day in 2019 The Hindu Downtown first visited this initiative. Three up since then, the bins now number 27. 

The pattern of engagement underpinning the initiative is simple but seems robust. Subhashini Raja, joint secretary, NGRWA, explains that conservancy workers (from Urbaser Sumeet) sweep the leaves and deposit them in the bins. As these workers have a deadline to meet, they will execute this work quickly, and a few plastic items are likely to end up in the leaf litter bins. 

The gardener employed by NGRWA will sift through the leaves and remove the plastics. Subhashini adds that she and another member of NGRWA, Chandra Prabhakar, are tasked with monitoring the leaf-litter management.