Athena Infonomics in collaboration with British High Commission conducted a workshop on "Strengthening Capacities in Tamil Nadu for Municipal Solid Waste Management" in Chennai on 5th November. The workshop brought together municipal commissioners and engineers from urban local bodies across Tamil Nadu; including Tambaram, Pallaavaram and Pammal and a host of experts in solid waste management from academia, NGOs and media.

The Zero – Waste Management project of Vellore pioneered by Mr. C. Srinivasan was presented and the event included an exhibition of over 148 types of waste generated by urban cities in India. The event highlighted the need for a paradigm shift in the waste is being perceived and managed and feasibility of the applying the Vellore model of decentralized waste management in larger cities and towns was discussed.

The deliberation highlighted some of the key challenges faced by the municipal representatives in their respective cities and towns in managing municipal solid waste. Some of the key issues discussed included: