THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
Over 2.5 million people will join a massive cleanliness drive organised by the Local Self-Government Department (LSGD) across Kerala on Gandhi Jayanti as part of the ‘Malinya Muktham Nava Keralam’ campaign, covering every nook and corner of the state including urban and rural stretches, bus stands, railway stations, parks, tourist centres and markets.
At least 200 people drawn from all walks of life from each ward of every local body will join the campaign, marking the beginning of the second phase of the intensive cleaning campaign running up to January 30, 2024.The activities will be coordinated by the state and district level campaign secretariates.
The activities to ensure 100 percent waste management in schools and government institutions will be held from October 2 to 10 while activities aimed at ensuring a proper waste management system and adherence to green protocol in commercial and private establishments are planned from October 10 to 20.
Prior to this, on October 1, a massive cleanliness campaign will be conducted across the state as part of the Swachhata Hi Seva campaign and as part of Gandhi Jayanti from October 2 to 15.
Around 23,000 places have already been identified, which is expected to go up to 25,000 localities.The campaign will be carried out in at least two areas in each urban local body ward and in all wards in each village panchayat.
The programme has been registered as an event on swachhatahiseva.com. People interested in joining the campaign can select the place of their choice by downloading the map on the portal.
Also, during October, LSGD will address the shortcomings of the waste management system in tourist destinations.
It will be ensured that all poultry farms and chicken cutting centres have inked agreement with chicken rendering plants for proper waste management.The removal of garbage piled up in dumping sites and public places, and cleaning of water bodies are also included in the programmes scheduled to be taken up during the month.
Taking the campaign forward, from November 1 to 15 activities to ensure proper functioning of community composting facilities will be taken up. From November 15-30 the campaign will look into the functioning of the mini material collection facility (MCF) and resource recovery facilities (RRF).
The activities planned during the period include convening of Haritha Grama Sabhas, assessing the management of bio-degradable waste at its source and collection of non-biodegradable waste, installation of CCTVs in required places, and strengthening the campaign providing rewards to those tipping off illegal waste dumping.
Children’s Haritha Sabha will be held on November 14, Children’s Day while children for Haritha Sabha will be selected on October 2.
The local self-government institutions (LSGIs) will be working towards ensuring an effective sanitary waste management system in all Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) from December 1 to 10.
It will be ensured that tourist centres have proper waste management facilities. The branding of Haritha Karma Sena will continue till December 31.
Harithamithram App, a digital tool for effective implementation of waste management activities, will be unveiled in 600 panchayats, 65 municipalities, and 4 corporations on January 10, 2024.
Activities relating to ward-level assessment and declaration of management of bio-degradable waste at its source, doorstep collection of waste, and scientific waste management in commercial establishments will be taken up from January 10 -20.
Keeping public spaces litter-free and water bodies free of solid waste are some of the important targets of this phase besides felicitating institutions and organisations with effective waste management systems and selecting the best LSGIs.
The state government has launched the three-phase ‘Malinya Muktham Nava Keralam’ campaign, on 15 March this year with clear-cut goals and deadlines.
The campaign is aimed at turning each LSGI totally clean, green and healthy thus making entire LSGIs garbage-free by March 2024. Besides building a reliable and sustainable waste management infrastructure covering all local bodies, the second phase of the campaign will also see the completion of a few remaining targets from the previous phase.
