Munnar panchayat sets example in waste management

IDUKKI: At a time when tourist spots are grappling with the issue of mounting waste, a small hill town known for its vibrant landscape and tea gardens in Idukki is showing the way in effective waste management for others to emulate. 

Munnar is not throwing away the seven-tonne waste that it generates daily. Instead it is processing and recycling the huge amount of waste with community participation to achieve the mission of turning it into a zero-waste town. 

Munnar panchayat secretary K N Sahajan told TNIE that residents of the town have been asked to separate their garbage into three categories-  degradable waste, diapers and sanitary napkins, and plastic. The panchayat has recommended residents and tourists arriving here to either avoid using disposable items or purchase products that can be disposed of safely and easily. 

“Initially, villagers were reluctant to segregate waste properly. However, after persistent efforts, almost every household was linked to the system.  ‘Haritha Karma Sena’ volunteers will collect garbage from households everyday, for which a fee of Rs 100 will be charged from each house every month. One volunteer will collect waste from 100 households,” he said. 

The panchayat has a processing plant in Kallar where waste will be processed scientifically by a private company. “Hotels and shops used to serve coffee in disposable glasses earlier to customers. However, this has changed to steel and glass tumblers now,” Jansen, a local resident, said. 

In  addition to this, the panchayat plans to set up septage and waste water treatment plants so that rivers flowing through the heart of the town are not polluted.

Tourists should not litter plastic waste  
“Tourists littering waste items being a major issue that hampers the natural settings of Munnar, green checkposts will be set up within one month at major entry points to the hill town where plastic items will be collected by  green army members,” Sahajan said. 

“Whatever waste you have, we are ready to take it. But it should not be littered in our surroundings,” he said. A green patrolling team will be deployed at major tourism spots in Munnar. The WhatsApp number to contact the team will also be deployed in the van which will have volunteers.

“This is to facilitate on-the-spot collection of waste items directly from visitors,” he said. “Moreover to encourage bus drivers who take visitors to Munnar, monetary rewards will be given to them for every kilogram of plastic waste they hand over to the panchayat,” he said.