TIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Strict enforcement of the new legislation and inculcating a sense of community ownership among people will help to address the issue of waste dumping in public places, says District Collector K Vasuki. Recently, the Collector had convened a meeting of station house officers of all police stations in the district and sensitised them on the Kerala Irrigation and Water Conservation (Amendment) Act, 2018. “Next, a nodal officer will be assigned in every police station for coordinating surveillance and enforcement activities in association with local self-government,” she said.
“We’ve started efforts to instil a sense of community ownership among the people. A pilot programme was launched at Kowdiar recently. In this, roadside garbage dumping points would be cleaned and beautified with flowering plants and murals,” she said. A permanent solution is to regain the state’s culture of keeping public places clean, she added.