Nurture proper waste disposal culture, Minister tells LSGIs

M B Rajesh inaugurates state-level workshop ‘Maattam’ for urban local bodies

Trivandrum / July 3, 2023

Thiruvananthapuram, July 03: Noting that public participation is vital in solid waste management plans, Minister for Local Self Government and Excise Shri M B Rajesh today said Local Self Government Institutions (LSGIs) should make all efforts to cultivate a proper waste disposal culture among people.

It is primarily the responsibility of  LSGIs and city corporations and municipalities to foster the habit  of making proper use of  facilities like dustbins after the preliminary segregation, the Minister said in his inaugural address to the state-level workshop series for elected  representatives of urban local bodies and implementation officers at Kovalam here.

The two-day event, titled ‘Maattam’ (Change), was organised by the Kerala Solid Waste Management Project (KSWMP), as part of a workshop series planned in four zones across the state.

The shortcomings in solid waste management in each corporation found as part of the KSWMP data collection will be analysed in the workshop. Based on this, decisions will be taken on the subprojects to be implemented urgently. The workshops will set the platform for taking up a master plan by corporations for attaining sustainability in waste management. Experts and officials will make presentations, followed by group discussion and project presentation. 

Shri Rajesh said the LSGIs and urban local bodies should also elicit public opinion while formulating waste management plans and it is the responsibility of people’s representatives to create effective awareness for their success. The LSGIs should also have to prepare projects thoroughly to utilise the funds earmarked for these projects properly and promptly.

The Minister said the target set by LSGIs in achieving cent percent results in the source level management of biodegradable waste and doorstep collection of non -biodegradable waste is yet to be met and green technology can be leveraged to achieve the goals efficiently.

Suggesting that Haritha Karma Sena has to be modernised, Shri Rajesh said its members have to be trained thoroughly in segregation process, besides ensuring that they are provided with protective gear and a reasonable remuneration.

People’s representatives from 87 municipalities and six corporations will be getting training as part of ‘Maattam.’ In the next phase, the workshop series will be conducted in other zones including Ernakulam, Thrissur and Kozhikode. 

Nava Kerala Mission State Coordinator Dr T N Seema, who presided over the function, said waste disposal is a major challenge and it has to be taken up as a consistent process.

Delivering the keynote address, Additional Chief Secretary, Local Self Government Department, Smt Sarada Muraleedharan said Kerala is the only state in the country where technical resources are available for a critical project like KSWMP and called for leveraging them effectively.

Local Self Government Department Principal Director Shri MG Rajamanickam was also present.

In his welcome address, KSWMP Project Director Shri Mohammed Y Safirulla said the workshop will give an insight into the projects that have been implemented in corporations already, besides evolving plans to be taken up in future for effective solid waste management.

Kerala Municipal Chairman’s Chamber Chairman Shri M Krishnadas; KSWMP Deputy Project Director Shri U V Jose; Suchitwa Mission Executive Director Shri KT Balabhaskaran; CKCL Managing Director Shri Suresh Kumar and Urban Affairs Director Shri Alex Varghese were also present.

The workshop will deliberate various topics including detailed plans for solid waste management in accordance with the parameters prescribed in the National Solid Waste Management manual, achievements by LSGIs and the existing challenges, conceiving new waste disposal projects, changes in consumer habit and rise in population in the next 25 years.