Garbage Dumpsites to be Turned into Parks by Year-end

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
The government is set to convert around 3,000 garbage dumpsites across the state into clean-and-green Sneharamam parks, with the Higher Education Department tying up with the National Service Scheme (NSS) to carry out the ambitious plan.

Conceived under the Malinya Muktham Nava Keralam campaign, the three-month project from October 2 (Gandhi Jayanti) aims to first locate such plots through reports from local self-government institutions (LSGIs) or the portal of Kerala Solid Waste Management Project (KSWMP). Once the LSGIs give their go-ahead for the clean-up projects, the work will be carried out by local units of the NSS, which is a public service programme under the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs.

Suchitwa Mission will provide Rs 5,000 for the setting-up of each unit of Sneharamam, having earmarked Rs 1.5 crore for this project. The money will be disbursed to NSS through LSGIs on completion of each unit. Additional funds, if necessary, can be sourced locally, including through sponsors. Suchitwa Mission is the technical waste-management support group under the Department of LSG.

LSGIs, along with local NSS units, will locate those dumpsites which can be developed into Sneharamams.

Besides raising green strips, parks or gardens after cleaning the garbage dumpsites, NSS volunteers can try their artistic creativity by making installations from local waste. The entire project is slated to conclude by December 31, following which the Sneharamams will be dedicated on the New Year Day of 2024. The NSS will carry out their subsequent maintenance.

Civic body representatives, NSS programme officers, unit secretaries and officials of Malinya Muktham Nava Keralam will sit together this week and chart out the modalities of their projects. By September 30, the civic bodies will fill up an official form carrying the details of the garbage heaps in their area, besides their plans to convert them into Sneharamams.