THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Resistance to change among city residents, officials reveal, is hampering the corporation’s plan to implement a comprehensive source-level waste management system for households as part of the Malinya Muktha Nava Keralam campaign.
Launched two months ago, the civic body’s plan was to set up at least 25,000 kitchen bin units by March 2024. However, so far, it has only been able to install about 6,000 units. Notably, some years ago, the corporation had implemented a similar project but failed to sustain it owing to official mismanagement. Back then, the civic body had distributed about 52,000 kitchen bins as part of its decentralised waste management plan following the shutting down of the Vilappilsala centralised waste treatment plant.
Initially, a section of households in many wards were using the kitchen bins successfully with the help of private service providers. However, when the current council came to power, the supply of inoculum – a catalyst needed to turn waste into manure – came to a halt, and that put an end to source-level waste management.
Now, after the launch of the state government’s ‘Malinya Muktham Nava Keralam’ campaign, the civic body has introduced a door-to-door collection of non-biodegradable waste by Haritha Karma Sena. It also launched a campaign to reintroduce the kitchen bins.
However, according to sources, not many residents have warmed up to the idea, landing the corporation in a fix. A prime example is the Manacaud health circle. Earlier, about 3,000 households here were using kitchen bins and effectively managing waste. But this time, the residents seem to be caught in inertia.
“We don’t trust the corporation anymore,” reasons Rajendran Nair, secretary of Ganga Nagar Residents’ Association, Manacaud. “I used the kitchen bin effectively for two years. Then they stopped the supply of inoculum and, unfortunately, it’s not available in the open market.”
Rajendran adds that the civic authorities have given application forms for the new bins, but not many residents are enthusiastic about it. “Personally, I am not confident about the project. We don’t know when the corporation will change its policy again and stop supporting us. Moreover, we are not very happy with the services of Haritha Karma Sena,” he says.
With residents cold-shouldering the project, the corporation is planning to intensify enforcement. “There are some unauthorised service providers who are collecting household waste, and that is one of the reasons dissuading the residents from adopting kitchen bins,” says a corporation health wing official. “We have decided to step up enforcement to prevent illegal collection of waste. Gradually, the residents will have no other option but to adopt source-level waste management.”
Meanwhile, a senior corporation official says the campaign will be expedited in the coming days, and defends the decision to collect fees for the kitchen bins. “We decided not to give the kitchen bins free of cost. The beneficiary will have to pay Rs 165 for availing them,” the official says.
“They should take up ownership of the bins. If we distribute them free of cost, they will not use them. We are processing 6,000 more applications, and the kitchen bins will be distributed within two or three weeks.”The official stresses that public support is vital for the success of such campaigns. “We are trying our best. But, sadly, many residents don’t want to take up responsibility,” he says.
“Unfortunately, we don’t have the capacity to give daily support to residents. However, our teams can visit households once a week, perhaps, to ensure efficient use of the bins and effective source-level waste management.”