THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The city corporation has formulated an action plan for its pre-monsoon cleaning drive and waste treatment at the source. The action plan was presented by the Health Standing Committee Chairperson, Jameela Sreedharan, at the emergency council meeting, which was held here on Wednesday.
The action plan suggested that waste be treated at the source and that all establishments and houses larger than 1,000 sq feet should have a system for this.
A fine of Rs 10,000 to Rs 50,000 and imprisonment of up to one year have been prescribed for those who do not comply. The aim is to implement the project every third month. As a part of this, 10 to 25 people’s representatives and organisations will conduct home visits and educate the residents about the magnitude of the waste crisis in the city.
In the process, households without source waste management systems will be identified, and biowaste management equipment will be distributed.
The city generates 423 metric tonnes of garbage every day. Of this, 60% is organic waste. Around 100 to 125 tonnes of waste in the city are currently being treated through the source waste management scheme. The aim of the action plan is to implement the management and treatment of the remaining organic and inorganic liquid waste with public participation. For this purpose, Janakeeya Sabhas will be formed in all 100 wards under the leadership of Janakeeya Suchitwa Arogya Samiti.
Along with this, the drains and streams in the wards will be cleaned as a part of pre-monsoon cleaning to facilitate the flow. Garbage dumps in each ward will be segregated with public participation.
After treating the organic waste at the source, the inorganic waste will be handed over to the Clean Kerala Company.
In alternate months, this task will be continued, and people who throw garbage in public places will be found and punished. Along with this, there are about two dozen short-term and long-term projects for waste management in the action plan.
PRE-MONSOON SANITATION, RS 1 LAKH PER WARD
According to the action plan, Rs 1 lakh has been allocated in each ward for pre-monsoon sanitation. Of these, Rs 40,000 has been allocated by the local self-government department for pre-monsoon cleaning from Suchitwa Mission, the National Health Mission, and the civic body’s own fund. As this fund is limited, the Health Standing Committee allocated Rs 1 lakh each. The amount is for digging all the drains in the ward, changing the soil, and clearing the bushes