ALAPPUZHA: Until 2013, Alappuzha - the Venice of the East - was a synonym for epidemics. The town used to be an eyesore with heaps of waste packed in plastic kits from households and eateries thrown everywhere. People unscrupulously threw bags of trash on the wayside, banks of canals and public places. Though the municipal authorities spent crores of rupees to set up a waste treatment facility at Sarvodayapuram nearby, it was met by agitation from local residents, which grabbed the headlines on most days.
Now, the scene has changed. The small town is an example to the world. Solid waste is a rare thing on roads and public places and epidemics have been brought under control. The municipality with the concerted effort of Finance Minister T M Thomas Isaac has set an example as to how to manage solid waste in a low-cost manner scientifically. The United Nations Environmental Programme has showcased the Alappuzha model waste management by including it among the five best waste management models across the world. Three times it won the Kerala State Pollution Control Board award.
The Central Pollution Control Board, as well as the Centre for Science and Environment, have also appreciated the efforts of the civic body. This system was showcased in the United Nations Climate Change conference held at Le Bourget in Paris on April 11, 2016. Many states adopted the Alappuzha model and teams from around the world visited the town to study the model. It all began in 2013 when the civic body started to implement the decentralised solid waste management system to find a solution for the problem.
Alappuzha MLA Thomas Isaac was the master mind behind the project, said former municipal chairman Mercy Diana Macedo told Express. “Waste management was a tough task at that period. The municipality owned a treatment plant at Sarvodayapuram in Mararikulam panchayat. The waste collected from the town was transported to Sarvodayapuram and kept on the premises of the plant. It started to create many kinds of ecological problems and the local residents began an agitation,” she said.
According to the former municipal chairperson, the vehicles carrying waste were blocked by local residents and it hindered waste movement from the town. Garbage piled up and soon Alappuzha resembled Surat before the outbreak of the plague. “One could spot stray dogs and rodents everywhere. We also feared there would be an outbreak of epidemics, including plague,” said Mercy.
She said the civic body adopted alternative methods. “Sometimes, the waste collected from town was piled up in Vazhicherry lorry stand. But the local residents started agitating. Sometimes, we tried to bury it in huge pits in plots owned by the municipality. But it resulted in stiff opposition from local residents. We struggled hard to manage the waste,” she said.
“While the agitation gained strength, Isaac came out with a proposal to set up bio gas plants and pipe compost units. We implemented the project on a pilot basis at Kidangamparambu, Karukayil and Karakulam wards of the municipality. The bio gas plants and pipe compost units were given to households with government subsidy by the Agency for Non conventional Energy and Rural Technology (Anert) and Integrated Rural Technology Centre (IRTC). For the residents with no land for setting up bio gas plants and pipe composting units, the municipality constructed aerobic compost units.
It became a success and ignited a major revolution in waste management and energy conservation,” said Mercy. “We implemented the project successfully, but we lost the administration of the municipality in the 2015 poll. However, I am very much satisfied to implement a permanent solution to the perennial problem faced by the municipality. The full credit goes to Isaac and his vision helped to fulfill the project,” she said. Said Municipal chairman Thomas Joseph: “The municipality is keen to continue the project. We have constructed more aerobic plants and distributed bio gas and pipe compost units. The second stage of the project will begin in January.”
Councillor M R Prem said, “The project is not only a success in waste management, it is an apt example of energy conservation. The consumption of LPG came down by 4,990 cylinders in the 2013-14, 2014-15 period,” he said.
Wat-san clubs to catch them young
Alappuzha: Water and Sanitation Project is the name given to the project to save the waterlogged municipality from the clutches of the waste problem. The money was allocated from the MLA fund and municipal fund for implementing the projects. Bio gas plants were allotted to more than 3,500 households and pipe compost units were allotted to 4,000 families. More than 40 aerobic compost units were set up in various wards of the municipality to manage waste. The civic body had conducted a massive campaign in the municipal area with the help of the Clean Kerala Mission. ‘Wat-san clubs’ were formed in schools for creating awareness about waste management and water sanitation. Children were given classes for creating awareness about managing waste and keeping the city clean.