THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: For the past few days, there is a flurry of activity at the sidewalk skirting the Corporation Health Inspector's office at Sasthamangalam. People lug along huge sackfuls of articles, while some slow down as they pass by, pausing and enquiring about the two big boxes kept on the sidewalk. The corporation worker manning the facility explains in detail the purpose behind the setting up of these boxes. It is the dry-waste segregation hub which has been recently installed by the civic body where people can drop off their segregated waste.
The civic body had initiated its one-of-a-kind waste collection boxes only four days ago. But the waste collection boxes have already started charting out a success story, with people arriving in large numbers to drop off waste from their home. The corporation worker manning the facility assists in dropping off the waste, while ensuring only segregated and cleaned waste is dropped off.
Laila Beevi who arrived with her daughter Azeera Hashim had her hands full. She was using the facility for the first time. She says having such a centre nearby helped dispose of the waste in a much quicker manner. "Earlier we had to wait until they announced the waste collection drive every month," said Laila.
The response is huge, according to corporation officials. "Although the facility was started to dissuade the commuters from disposing off waste onto the streets carelessly, it is being used by many households to dispose waste. The waste is being emptied when these boxes are filled. The majority of waste dropped off includes glass waste, plastic, footwear and bags. There is a corporation worker assigned for 24 hours to ensure the facility is not misused," said Rajan T, health inspector, Sasthamangalam.
"If the dry waste segregation hub becomes a success, we plan to install more of these in the city. At present, dry waste is being handed over based on the annual calendar set for waste management. When such hubs come up across the city, it can replace the calendar-based waste collection method, enabling easier segregation. With this system, the public brings the waste in segregated form. As such there is no time and manpower wastage involved in sorting these," said an official from Mayor's office.
Once these boxes get filled, a corporation vehicle transports it to the collection centre from where they are sent off to the corresponding waste collection agencies.
"For the past two days, the collected waste was transported by the corporation's auto to the waste management centre," says Sudheer D S, a corporation worker manning the facility.
The city residents have embraced the new waste collection facility. "This will prevent people from dumping waste outside. Also, the waste doesn't pile up in our homes. It is not possible to manage all the wastes generated at home such as footwear which can't be burned. So having such a facility for depositing all kinds of waste is helpful in ensuring a clean society," says Sasidharan Nair, a retired assistant engineer of KSRTC.
types of waste to be disposed
The two boxes can be used to drop off glass waste, glass bottles, mirror, broken glasses, old clothes, paper waste, plastic, metal and can waste, footwear and bags. There is also a separate counter which collects other wastes, such as the waste arising from plastic alternatives