Anti-littering campaign to kick off on January 1
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In an effort to inculcate responsible waste disposal practices among the public and curb the habit of littering, the state government has announced a week-long ‘anti-littering’ campaign starting from Wednesday (January 1).
The ‘Malinya Muktham Nava Keralam’ campaign - that aims to transform Kerala into a garbage-free state by March 30, 2025 - is entering a crucial phase, Local Self-Government Minister M B Rajesh told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday.
He pointed out that though the campaign has made significant progress, people are still hesitant to abandon the habit of littering. Rajesh said that strict action will be taken against various waste-related violations. “In an effort to curb the availability and usage of single-use plastics, the state government has decided to recommend the GST Council to impose a maximum tax of 28% on single-use plastics. At present, the taxes are minimum,” said Rajesh.
The minister said that Kerala will be declared a dump-site-free state by next year. “Bioremediation of 24 dumpsites has been completed and the process to reclaim the dumpsites is underway in ten locations. Moreover, the bioremediation process will kick off immediately in 25 more locations,” he said.
The local self-government institutions have been directed to strengthen CCTV surveillance, install waste bins and ensure proper collection and scientific handling of waste, said the minister.
Progress made by
Malinya Muktham Nava Keralam campaign as of November 30
Door-to-door waste collection 87%
User fee collection: 72%
Total number of Mini MCFs: 19,447
Total number of MCFs: 1,323
Total number of RRF: 190
Haritha Karma Sena members: 37,363
Total number of households using Haritha Mithram App: 85.66 lakh
Total number of CCTVs: 3,517