Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday announced a three-phase ‘Malinyamuktham Nava Keralam’ campaign with a view to finding a lasting solution to waste management issues in the State by March 2024.
In an interaction with people’s representatives from local bodies across the State as well as Secretaries of various departments, he said that all government departments will have a role to play in ensuring that Kerala becomes waste-free.
Leader of the Opposition V.D.Satheesan, who participated in the meeting through an online conference, extended his support for the campaign.
As part of the first phase of the campaign, every local body in the State will be declared litter-free by June 5, World Environment Day.
Local bodies will also have to ensure that source-level segregation of waste as well as doorstep collection of non-biodegradable waste is carried out by this date.
Volunteer forces have to be formed at the ward level, consisting of Haritha Karma Sena members, residents’ association representatives, National Service Scheme members, School Police Cadet, youth clubs and traders’ organisations members to remove accumulated waste from public places and waterbodies.
Social auditing of these activities will also be conducted to address gaps. All government offices will also be cleaned up as part of this. The heads of the departments will have to ensure that all offices are functioning as per the green protocol by May 15.
“One of the reasons for the fire at the Brahmapuram plant was the dumping of different kinds of waste together without segregation at source. We have to ensure that this is not repeated anywhere. Biodegradable waste has to be treated at source. Community-level systems have to be implemented for those who are unable to do this. Non-biodegradable waste has to be handed over to the Haritha Karma Sena, who will collect user fee,” said Mr.Vijayan.
The campaign aims to have a comprehensive waste management mechanism with digital tracking in all local bodies by March 30, 2024. The police, the Motor Vehicles department, the Revenue department, the Fire and Rescue Services, the Food Safety department and the Pollution Control Board will be part of enforcement activities at various levels.
All other departments will be part of awareness campaigns. The District Planning Committees have to ensure that all local bodies have included projects which can address waste management issues in the annual Plans for 2023-24.
In the medium term, environment-friendly basic infrastructure for waste management will be set up in the local bodies.
Mr.Vijayan said that it is unfortunate that there have been protests in some places against the setting up of scientifically proven community composting units, community biogas plants, material collection facilities and faecal sludge processing units.
People’s representatives have to take the initiative at the local level to create awareness among the public, he said.
Minister for Local Self-Governments M.B. Rajesh, who presided over the meeting, said that the campaign will move forward on a war footing with interventions at the individual, local body and the governmental level.
