THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Household waste collection has stopped as material recovery facilities in 550 panchayats have reached full capacity; around 4 to 5 tonnes of dry waste are accumulated in each panchayat; travel ban has created the crisis
With all material recovery facilities (MRFs) set up at 550 local bodies, including panchayats, municipalities and corporations, reaching their full capacity, the Local Self Government Department is groping in the dark to find ways to move and dispose of nearly 6,000 tonnes of accumulated dry waste at these facilities amid the Covid-19 lockdown. An official said that nearly 6,000 tonnes of dry waste needs to be carted away from the material recovery facilities across the state to enable the local bodies to resume collection of household waste after the lockdown.
In view of the lockdown, the government had urged citizens to keep inorganic waste at their homes which would be collected once the lockdown is lifted.The Clean Kerala Company Ltd, the agency entrusted with the responsibility to take care of non-biodegradable waste (comprising paper, plastic, glass, metal, thermocole, cloth and wood) has raised the issue with the state government.
“We have to immediately move the accumulated dry waste from our material recovery centres. We had initiated steps to move the waste but then the lockdown was declared and we had to stall all operations immediately because of the restriction imposed on the movement of vehicles,” said the official.Since the announcement of the lockdown, the movement of waste has been completely stalled in the state and the green army (Haritha Karma Sena) had stopped collection of dry waste from households in the wake of Covid-19 outbreak.
“We have taken up the issue with the authorities and the government has given us clearance to cart away the waste from the facilities immediately. We have sought special passes from the district collectors for our garbage trucks. Already some of the districts have granted us passes to initiate movement of piled up dry waste. If the lockdown continues we will need the pass,” said an official.
The plan is to free up the material recovery facilities by moving the piled up dry waste to around 16 godowns operated by the Clean Kerala Company. “We will need the service of around 5,000 sanitation workers for the task. Our plan is to begin the transportation of garbage by April 15,” said the official.Around 4 to 5 tonnes of dry waste is accumulated in each panchayat. “From our godown, we will be transporting it to the scientific landfill sites operated by Kerala Environment Infrastructure Ltd (KEIL). Unfortunately, they are shut down because of the lockdown,” said the official.
With garbage accumulation at households and apartment complexes becoming a serious concern, the principal secretary of LSG Department had issued an order directing all district collectors to immediately resume waste management.
Green army stops work
Since the announcement of the lockdown, the movement of waste has been completely stalled in the state and the green army (Haritha Karma Sena) had stopped collection of dry waste from households in the wake of Covid-19 outbreak