THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The health department’s direction encouraging use of single-use disposable products to contain the spread of Covid-19 infection has turned out to be a bane for the efforts of the Suchitwa Mission and Haritha Keralam Mission to enforce green protocol, which is crucial for the significant reduction of waste generated during the local body elections.
Recently, the Suchitwa Mission and Haritha Keralam Mission came up with a comprehensive handbook to implement the green protocol in the three-tier local body elections which is due next month. According to Haritha Keralam Mission authorities, 5,776 tonnes of waste is expected to be generated in the state during the elections, which comprises 1,342 tonnes of single-use disposable products and 1,234 tonnes of used plastic bottles.
However, minimising the use of disposables and implementation of the green protocol are going to be a challenge this time because of the directive from the health department which, according to experts, was issued without proper consultation with the local self-government department or sanitation agencies including Haritha Keralam Mission and Suchitwa Mission, which are responsible for the scientific disposal.
K N Shibu, one of the mentors of the Green Army, a platform of youth and students for zero waste, and who engages in campaigns against single-use plastics in the state, said as per the norms issued by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), everything used by Covid-19 patients should be treated as medical waste. He said the health authorities are keeping mum on the disposal of these wastes which will put the sanitation workers at risk of contracting the infection.
“It was a mistake to issue such a conflicting order which is derailing the efforts of the LSG department to implement the ban order restricting the use of single-use disposables. They should have issued an order directing the eateries and shops to make necessary arrangements to sterilise the utensils used for serving food. The eateries and ‘thattukadas’ can install boilers or visibly sterilise the utensils. The health squad under the local bodies could keep in check the Covid-19 hygiene at eateries and shops,” said Shibu, who is also the India coordinator if GAIA (Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives).
Haritha Keralam Mission has come up with a comprehensive plan to conduct a plastic-free election. Technical officer (Waste Disposal Management) of Haritha Keralam Mission P Ajayakumar said the Central government has issued a ban on single-use disposable products but unfortunately the pandemic has resurrected its usage again in the state.
“Paper cups are not as safe as we think. We don’t know where this product is coming from or whether it carries the virus. The safer way is to use sterilised glasses and plates. We have brought this issue to the state government’s attention. During the previous elections, we were able to bring down the amount of poll waste because of the green protocol,” said Ajayakumar. The Haritha Keralam Mission has recommended to the state government and the State Election Commission to install water dispensers at polling booths and promote the use of plates and glasses disinfected using soap for serving food and water.
What is the health department saying?
A senior official of the health department said the direction was issued because the immediate priority of the authorities was to curb the disease spread. “Disposables have an issue of breeding mosquito and the health deparment will not promote the use of it.
But this is a pandemic situation and there is a chance of disease spread if a glass/plate is shared. It is not practically possible to ensure that the hotels and eateries use only sterilised utensils. Our interest is only in disease prevention,” said the official, who is also a core member of the State Covid-19 Task Force.
The directive issued by health department promoting single-use products to prevent spread of Covid-19 has come as a huge blow to the efforts of Haritha Keralam Mission and Suchitwa Mission to implement green protocol during the coming local body elections
