KOCHI:
Having ushered in a stronger awareness about public cleanliness amid rapid urbanisation, Kerala is working towards pollution-free development in tune with its emphasis on travel and tourism, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said today.
As 90 per cent of the state’s population is projected to live in cities and towns by 2035, Kerala is bracing up for stronger garbage management by converting the challenge into opportunity, he said after launching the Rs 2,400-crore Kerala Solid Waste Management Project (KSWMP) amid the second phase of ‘Malinya Muktham Navakeralam’ campaign which is bolstering the infrastructure to achieve the target in the current financial year.
“The government is striving to make full use of the possibilities of the increasing urbanisation. As part of this motto, we are implementing nature-friendly development projects, transportation models with minimal air pollution and conservation of water bodies, besides charting new course of waste management,” Vijayan noted at the function presided over by Minister for Local Self Government and Excise Shri M.B. Rajesh in the presence of their Cabinet colleague P. Rajeeve (Law and Industries).
Noting that tourism is picking up in post-pandemic Kerala, he pointed out that cleanliness in public places shares a close relation with travel industry in the state.
The KSWMP, which is being carried out in association with the World Bank and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, covers state’s entire 93 urban local bodies (ULBs) to be self-sufficient in clearing garbage by March 2024, besides helping them chart out and implement sustainable solid waste management for the next 25 years.
Currently in its second stage (from June 5), KSWMP’s ambitious ‘Maattam’ project has enabled 422 urban local bodies (ULBs) to sort 90-100 per cent of their waste at the source-of-origin stage, the Chief Minister revealed, highlighting the role of 33,378 Haritha Karma Sena volunteers in the mission. Thus, 73 per cent of the state’s houses and 63 per cent of businesses under ULBs have a system where waste will be sorted at their doorsteps, he added.
Even so, ULBs face a shortage of skilled service in waste management. This warrants the need for experts, which KSWMP is providing as part of its mandate to bring in a sustainable system covering meticulous operations from waste collection to end-processing. “We encourage collecting waste at its source. In cases where this is impractical, we go for centralised waste management by installing facilities such as CNG plants and bio parks,” the Chief Minister revealed. As for non-organic waste, efforts are on to build more material collection facilities (MCFs) and resource recovery facilities (RRFs).
For doorstep collection of waste and transporting them to the management centres, authorities will run state-of-the-art carriers that can be monitored through GPS. All ULBs will be provided with modern systems to treat sanitary waste. “We are promoting decentralised waste-management. As it may not be possible for each ULB will have its own system of managing solid waste, we have divided the state into five clusters, each of which will have a scientifically-conceived landfill,” Shri Vijayan said at the function in Grand Hyatt at Bolgatty Island of the city
Kerala has one lakh people employed in manufacturing organic manure, recycling industry, waste-rendering even as the state has gone for initiatives such as alternative products, digital technology and processing. “LSGs much realise this and work for ways that generate more employment,” he noted. Also, Green Industrial Parks will come up, making products out of C&D (construction and demolition) waste, thereby boosting job prospects.
E-wastes too are being sorted for scientific recycling through agencies, promoting value-added services. “Complete waste-management system requires people’s participation and concerted efforts by officials” Vijayan added.
Minister Rajesh noted that the first phase of KSWMP drew encouraging response, with the percentage of doorstep garbage collection rising from 48 to 78. Of the state’s 93 ULBs (87 municipalities and six corporations), 31 have prepared blueprints where they will carry out sub-projects of big initiatives, he added.
Minister Rajeev, while calling for concerted efforts for the success of KSWMP, unveiled a new design for modern material collection facilities (MCFs) and resource recovery facilities (RRFs), developed by architect G. Shankar.Hibi Eden formally switched on the KSWMP’s complaints redressal portal.
The chief guests at the function, besides Eden, were Vypin MLA K.N. Unnikrishnan, Kochi Mayor M. Anil Kumar and World Bank Senior Urban Economist Zhiyu Jerry Chen. Felicitations were offered by LSGD Additional Chief Secretary Sarada Muraleedharan, Ernakulam District Panchayat President Ullas Thomas, Collector N.S.K. Umesh, LSGD (Urban) Director Alex Varghese, Municipal Chairmen’s Chamber Chairman M. Krishnadas, Mulavukad Panchayat President V.S. Akbar, Suchitwa Mission Executive Director K.T. Balabhaskaran and Clean Kerala Company MD G.K. Sureshkumar.
KSWMP Project Director Jafar Malik welcomed the gathering, while Deputy Project Director U. V. Jose proposed thanks.
