The Chennai Corporation has been distributing green and red garbage bins over the last two years (at a cost of र63 lakh) to encourage slum-dwellers to segregate biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste at home. However, the bins, supplied by a Central agency, have either been sub-standard or used for purposes other than for dumping waste. Many residents of Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board’s tenements in Kothavalchavadi Street off Anna Salai said the bins were used for storing water, stocking clothes and vegetables.