U n' I with Rashmi Shetty- P. Natarajan

Nature has interesting ways of bringing us back to our roots by first sending us away!! So was the case with our guest today Mr. P.Natarajan. Having lived abroad for higher education and work, returning home made him see the damage around him with fresh eyes and a heavy heart but with a determination to address the problem. What we admire when we go abroad are the clean streets and rules and regulations. So that is what hits us when we return home, the need to follow rules and regulations. Solid waste is a huge problem in a city like Chennai that is growing at a rate not proportional to civic amenities. What is missing is the understanding of our participation in preserving the environment. Problems like these send us back to those law-abiding foreign lands or give us the grit to face them head-on. It takes courage to be different and stand out. When Chennai had not woken up to the alarming garbage conundrum (2014-2015), Natarajan was deeply affected by the impending damage it would cause and start Namma Ooru Foundation along with a few more passionate souls. After 7 years of operations, of Namma Ooru foundation the accomplishment was transforming more than 3500 households in Chennai and diverting 5 tons of mixed waste from landfills every day, but that represents just a grain of sand in the 5000 tons of mixed waste that Chennai generates every day. Natarajan realized that being a part-timer and handling this mammoth task is not going to work, He gave up his IT job and founded PUVI Earth Care Solutions a social enterprise with a 100% focus to provide sustainable environmental solutions, and came in full-time to tackle Climate Change. Natarajan sports 7 years of hands-on experience in the field of Environment, predominantly in Solid Waste Management, and 20 years of experience in IT industry.