M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, civic bodies ink pact on solid waste management, public health project
The M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), and the Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation (GWMC) on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding
The M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), and the Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation (GWMC) on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to implement a project on solid waste management, funded by the Wellcome Trust, U.K. The four-year transdisciplinary action research programme, Clean Land, Equitable Air & Resilience (CLEAR), will be implemented in Chennai and Warangal in partnership with IIT-Madras, the Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research (SRIHER), and Shristi Waste Management Services. The project aims to generate environmental and public health data to strengthen waste management systems and health system responses to waste-driven climate risks.
Speaking at the launch, Soumya Swaminathan, Chairperson of MSSRF and former Chief Scientist at the World Health Organization, said she hoped the initiative would become more than just a research project and help advance the field of environmental health by bringing together experts across disciplines. The project would link environmental monitoring with health data to help governments better understand pollution-related health risks and measure the impact of interventions, she said. Koushik H.R., Regional Deputy Commissioner, Greater Chennai Corporation, said the project recognised the link between land, air, and public health while focusing on vulnerable communities living near dumpsites, who often remain outside the ambit of policymaking.
Chennai generates around 6,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste every day, he said, adding that the GCC would support the project and use its findings to strengthen evidence-based waste management. Prathibha Ganesan, Principal Scientist at MSSRF, who will lead the project, said CLEAR would map emissions from landfill sites, study health impacts on nearby residents, children, and informal waste workers, and translate the findings into municipal and public health action. The project will also support waste audits, improve source segregation, train health professionals and municipal officials, and work with informal waste workers to identify alternative livelihood opportunities.
Mallam Rajesh, Municipal Health Officer, GWMC; A. Somasundaram, Additional Director, Directorate of Public Health; Kalpana Balakrishnan, professor and director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health at SRIHER; were among those present.
The BriefWire