THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a significant initiative aimed at curbing littering in public areas, the city corporation is gearing up to install approximately 200 dustbins throughout the capital. These plans are being fast-tracked in preparation for the Keraleeyam, a week-long festival organised by the state government to celebrate Kerala’s achievements, which is expected to attract a large crowd.
A senior official from the health wing of the corporation disclosed that the civic body has been working on installing dustbins in public places. The project’s objective is to establish permanent dustbins every 100 metres to discourage public littering. “The project is in its final stages, and the plan is to install durable steel bins with a 60-litre capacity. The cost of the bins will vary depending on their grade, and we cannot compromise on their quality, as they tend to get damaged easily. With good quality bins, they can last for years,” said the official.
With Keraleeyam just around the corner, the civic body has expedited the procurement process for the bins. “To begin with, we will install bins along the main stretch from Kowdiar to East Fort. We will acquire around 100 to 150 bins immediately so that they can be put into use from the first day of Keraleeyam.
We anticipate that around 1 lakh people will attend the festival each day, and we aim to cultivate a culture of responsible waste disposal and encourage people not to litter public spaces. Wrappers and other waste can be deposited in the dustbins, which will be collected by our sanitation workers. Often, during such events, there is widespread littering, and we want to prevent that this time,” explained the official.
According to estimates, each bin is expected to cost between Rs 60,000 to Rs 90,000, depending on the grade of steel used for their manufacturing. “Initially, we will install around 100 to 150 bins, and later, we will increase the numbers and place more of them in densely populated public areas,” the official added. The civic body plans to procure the bins from Metal Industries, a public sector undertaking. “As this is an emergency purchase, we have opted not to go through the tendering process and have decided to procure them from a government agency,” the official added.