Kerala is making all out efforts to develop a self-reliant and sustainable waste management system by ramping up the campaign launched as part of ‘Malinya Muktham Nava Keralam’ project to achieve the goal of garbage-free state by next year, Minister for Local Self Government and Excise M B Rajesh said.
Inaugurating a two-day workshop, the minister said it should be ensured that this phase of the campaign reached all sections of people. The aim is to plan the second phase of campaign through two days of extensive deliberations.
The workshop is intended to take stock of the achievements and shortcomings of the first phase of the campaign besides planning the future course of action plugging the loopholes wherever necessary, he said.
Although the project is yet to achieve all the goals it set out, the activities of the first phase have brought in a visible change all through the State within a short span of time, the Minister noted.
“Infrastructure for collection, sorting and movement of non-organic waste scientifically needs to stepped up in each local body area. It should be ensured through close monitoring that the agencies entrusted with recycling and disposal carry out their tasks properly. Though there has been a massive improvement in waste collection, we are yet to go a long way in fully meeting the challenge of waste segregation. Haritha Karma Sena (HKS) should be given thorough training in this regard”, Rajesh said.
Also, efforts should be initiated to make the HKSa branded initiative of Kerala. Scientific training for its members, providing necessary equipments, uniforms, vehicles and fair wages should be ensured to transform them into the State’s sanitation workforce, the Minister said.
The Minister suggested that the source wastes generated within the limits of a local body should be treated there itself and modern systems should be deployed for temporary storage of the collected wastes. With the active participation of Clean Kerala Company, there was remarkable progress in collecting non-organic waste. During the first phase, 1,000 tonnes of recyclable plastic was collected and handed over for processing, he said.