Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Saturday said that the lack of successful models which could showcase the efficiency of the new waste management technologies to be introduced, was creating credibility issues among the public. He was speaking at the seminar on municipal waste management here.
“This is one of the greatest problems that the government is facing. Even if new technology is introduced, people are not willing to accept the same. There are no successful models to demonstrate the efficiency of the method,” he said.
The government is focused on mainly three areas - source level segregation and processing, upgrading existing facilities, especially the treatment plants and the adoption of modern technology. Chandy said that the per capita waste generation was high in Kerala compared to other states owing to the consumerist lifestyle and high density of population.
“Proper waste management can be achieved only with the cooperation of the people,” he said. The Chief Minister underlined the need for promoting new technologies for waste disposal.
“Money is not a constraint. The UDF government has given prominence to waste management and has already earmarked Rs 250 crore for the same,” Chandy said.
The seminar was jointly organised by Asian Development Bank, Government of India, Kerala Suchitwa Mission, Government of Kerala and the World Bank.
The two-day seminar that concluded on Saturday was attended by representatives of the Local Bodies and officials of the Kerala and Central Government and officials from the ADB.