Joint efforts towards marine conservation is essential for the survival of mankind, Minister for Local Self-Governments M.V. Govindan said here on Wednesday.
He was speaking at the State-level inauguration of ‘Suchitwa Sagaram, Sundara Teeram’, an ambitious project aimed at making the sea and coast plastic-free.
“Immediate steps will be taken to ensure proper disposal of plastic waste collected from the coast. Plastic waste treatment requires careful collaborative work. Activities of Clean Kerala Company and the Haritha Karma Sena will be strengthened for the implementation of the project,” he added.
Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal, who presided over the function, said the government had set aside ₹20 crore for removing debris from waterbodies and increasing the depth of backwaters and rivers. “Many projects are being formulated to revive Kerala’s greenery by 2050,” he said.
Fisheries Minister Saji Cherian said the project was a battle against plastic menace and the Chief Minister would inaugurate an extensive plastic disposal drive on September 18 as part of the second phase of the project.
The Minister also unveiled the ‘Suchitwa Sagaram, Sundara Teeram’ logo while Mayor Prasanna Ernest, MLAs M. Mukesh, M. Noushad, district panchayat president Sam K. Daniel, and former Fisheries Minister J. Mercykutty Amma spoke.
An extension of the project started in 2018 at the Neendakara harbour, Suchitwa Sagaram, Sundara Teeram will be implemented in three phases that include awareness raising, waste collection, recycling and follow-up campaign.
About 15,000 volunteers will take part in the clean-up drive and the project will be extended to 20 more harbours in the third phase. Actor Manju Warrier is the brand ambassador of the project.
