Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government will take over a part of the local governing bodies' authority to dispose garbage, only to transfer it to private agencies.
The cabinet has decided to approach the governor so as to issue an amendment ordinance by which private agencies could be hired to remove waste from the municipal areas. This ordinance would also enable the government to find out appropriate public spaces to install efficient waste disposal facilities, managing the waste collected from at least two or more municipal areas. However, it has been decided to retain the authority of the panchayats in this matter.
Though waste disposal comes under the jurisdiction of the local governing bodies, the government has decided to resort to the speedy ordinance route as the municipalities have so far failed to implement efficient waste disposal measures even as sanitation becomes critical as the state recovers from the August deluge. The monetary fund allotted to the municipalities for waste management too would be ended with the new move.
Minister AC Moideen said that the ordinance would help to speed up the rate of waste management. The ordinance empowers the government to sanction various projects including those on generating electricity from garbage.
Once the ordinance comes into existence, the government can hire private agencies to collect waste and transport it to the recycling centres. The government will find land to establish the recycling plants at various places.
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