THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The fire that engulfed the dumpyard at Brahmapuram, which choked Kochi, has served as an eye-opener for local bodies in the state. Since the blaze, the collection and movement of non-biodegradable garbage have hit an all-time high in Kerala with local self-government (LSG) institutions intensifying door-to-door collection of garbage.
In the past two months, the LSGs, with the help of the Haritha Karma Sena (HKS) volunteers, collected and handed over a whopping 8,699 tonnes of non-biodegradable waste to the Clean Kerala Company Limited (CKCL). In March, the local bodies collected and handed over 5,258 tonnes of non-biodegradable waste to CKCL. Of which, 1,818 tonnes were collected from Ernakulam, the highest among all the districts.
In February, a total of 3,441 tonnes of non-biodegradable waste was collected from across the state by the CKCL. Currently, there are around 32,000 Haritha Karma Sena members deployed across the state for door-to-door waste collection.
A drastic increase in the collection of waste from households has prompted the CKCL to tie up with other private service providers to ensure the timely movement of waste. “Currently, we have tied up with 40 service providers who have expertise in the field. Now, a large majority of the local bodies have signed MoUs with us. There were local bodies who were dependent on other service providers who collect waste selectively leading to the accumulation of rejects,” said an official with the CKCL.
“Ernakulam district has performed well. Since the agreement with Kochi corporation, we moved around 210 tonnes of waste from Brahmapuram alone. The corporation should focus more on segregation and create a circular economy for waste generated,” the official added.
The Haritha Karma Sena generated Rs 42 lakh and Rs 64 lakh, respectively, in February and March by handing over segregated non-biodegradable waste which comprises thermocol boxes, glass, plastic, medicine strips, shredded plastic and other rejects.