THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As part of strengthening waste management mechanism in the state, 689 local bodies have formed Green Task Force to supplement the activities of Suchitwa Mission and Haritha Kerala Mission. As many as 153 material collection facilities - which stores non-bio-degradable waste collected from households by the Green Task Force - have been set up. A total of 75 resource recovery facilities - where the segregated non-bio-degradable waste will be stored for shredding and recycling - have also been put in place.
The Green Task Force has been constituted in 634 gram panchayats and 55 urban local bodies. The 22,119 members of the Green Task Force have been divided into 719 groups - 638 in panchayats and 81 in urban areas. The Green Task Force has already begun functioning in 123 local bodies. Training has been imparted to 3,203 members in 1,013 local bodies.
The task ahead
The members will collect plastic waste from houses once a month. Medicine strips and tubes of toothpaste and beauty products and covers will be collected once in two months. While glass products will be collected once in three months, residents can entrust e-waste and leather products to the task force once in six months and once a year respectively. It will also oversee setting up of waste treatment facilities in select homes and institutions. They will also repair defunct waste treatment facilities and ensure that it meets the prescribed standards. If needed, experts in waste treatment will be consulted.
The second phase
In the second phase, Green Task Force members will conduct checks once in two weeks at houses and institutions where waste treatment facilities have been set up. They will also examine the functioning of the biodegradable waste treatment facility and give necessary suggestions. The members of Task Force will ensure supply of raw material in houses where bio composting facilities have been set up. They will also provide services relating to the implementation of Green Protocol and will maintain common waste treatment facilities against a fixed user fee.