THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Smart Garbage App to streamline garbage management activities in local self-governments would go live on May 15, LSG Minister M V Govindan has said. It would be available under 365 LSGs in the initial phase and expanded across the state in future. The app would help people lodge complaints regarding waste management. If the complaint is not addressed in time, it would be automatically forwarded to higher authorities. As part of the Smart Garbage Monitoring System, GPS would be installed in garbage trucks.
The minister said the Haritha Keralam Mission was planning a mass movement for scientific waste management. The state government was equipping local self-governments by facilitating infrastructure for the mission’s activities. The focus would be on ‘reduce, reuse and recycle’, he added.
The first phase involves green protocol implementation, encouraging use of environment-friendly materials and those which can be reused. This would help in reducing the quantum of waste. The government succeeded in creating awareness among people on these to some extent, Govindan said.
“We are wasting our limited natural resources through ignorance. It is easy to reduce the amount of waste than trying to dispose of huge quantities of waste. This is the way forward for responsible societies,” the minister noted.
The most environment-friendly method to dispose of waste is to process biodegradable waste through composting and non-biodegradable waste through recycling. Material recovery facilities of LSGs could help reduce the amount of waste accumulation.
The minister said several local self-governments had launched facilities that sell second-hand electronic goods, toys, clothes and furniture. At such places, people were handing over unwanted goods. Meanwhile, the Haritha Karma Sena is conducting source-level collection of waste in 1021 LSGs. The litter-free campaign is expected to get rid of the practice of littering in public places. For this, CCTV cams would be installed. The campaign would focus on public places and water bodies. The government would provide electric vehicles to the Haritha Karma Sena for waste collection from houses, the minister said.