Kochi: With a view to finding a permanent solution to the waste management issues in Ernakulam district, the State Government has come up with an action plan.
The seven-point programme is being implemented on a war footing in the district in the wake of the Brahmapuram fire episode. The schedule of this seven-point action plan, to be implemented over a period of three months, has been finalized, also on the basis of a court order in this regard.
The programme aims to bring a significant cut in the volumes of waste reaching the Brahmapuram plant. A blanket ban on the transportation of plastic waste to the plant will be imposed as part of it.
Minister M B Rajesh announced the plan during a meeting held at the Ernakulam District Collectorate conference hall to review the fire at the Brahmapuram waste plant. The minister also spoke of a plan to declare the local bodies, which successfully complete the activities that start on March 11, as waste-free on June 5, World Environment Day.
The announcement follows a decision taken to strictly implement the existing set of laws relating to waste management. He also warned stern action against the secretaries of those local bodies, which commit a slip-up in executing the plan.
The master plan emphasizes treating the waste at the source itself. As part of implementing it, all elected representatives and local bodies have been instructed to install the mechanism in all the household units and institutions of the district by April 10. A direction with regard to initiating action against those who stand in the way of its implementation too has been issued.
The scheme will be implemented in all localities, including apartments and gated colonies. To hold those violating the norms accountable, systems such as vigilance inspection and public auditing too will be implemented.
The action plan encompasses the aspects of waste treatment at source, doorstep service, storage and disposal of waste, treatment of toilet waste, and removal of waste from public space. War rooms will be set up to assess the plan’s progress and also to ensure that measures are being implemented in the right direction.
While a district-level war room will be set up in the collectorate, the local bodies will open regional war rooms in the respective areas.
The cleaning operations will be carried out in coordination with Harita Karmasena, Bonded Workers, Kudumbashree, Resident Associations, Youth Clubs etc.
Hotspots will be identified in each local body for the purpose. As part of it, two clusters comprising 50 volunteers will be constituted in each ward. Steps are also in place to strengthen the pre-monsoon cleaning operations. Waste bins will be installed at major points and the Harita Karma Sena will be tasked to remove waste from these on a daily basis.
The action plan stipulates opening material collection centres in areas that do not boast any such facilities as of now, by March 31. A weighing machine to measure the quantity of garbage and a waste management system to record accurate details on the type of garbage that is sorted and discharged too should be set up.
Steps will be taken to streamline doorstep service by deploying the Harita Karma Sena. There should be at least a couple of Harita Karma Sena members in each ward and action should be taken at the earliest to ensure their presence in wards where there are none.
The government order mandating payment of user fees to Harita Karma Sena will soon come into effect. The local bodies will be allowed to collect the arrears along with property tax.
The activities of the private institutions, which treat toilet waste, will be monitored to avoid dumping the waste in public spaces. Trucks that collect toilet waste will be fitted with a GPS system to confirm that they are reaching the waste treatment plant. This is a system that has been tried and tested with success in Thiruvananthapuram.
The progress of the action plan should be discussed at regular intervals by the council meetings of the various local bodies and be reported to the district administration through the secretary. The minister also called for enforcement activities to ensure the effective implementation of the action plan.
Action plan for efficient waste management in Ernakulam
The action plan has been formed by strengthening the existing laws instead of formulating new ones for waste management. It has been decided to initiate strict action against the violators under the Solid Waste Management Act and the Environment Protection Act.
Waste treatment at the source
The activities as part of the action plan will be carried out from March 13 onwards. Urgent council meetings will be convened at all the local bodies to give a clear picture of the programme. Thereafter, legal notices will be distributed to all the houses.
An awareness campaign will be held from March 14 to 16 when people’s representatives and political party leaders will lead teams and visit houses in all wards. A report on the houses lacking the facility for waste treatment at source should be submitted before March 17.
The concerned local bodies should extend financial and technical assistance to them to set up the facility. For this, the services for the MGNREGA workers can be utilized. Enforcement squads can be deployed to ensure effective implementation of the programme.
By April 10, it should be ensured that all the houses and institutions are having the facility for waste treatment at the source. The concerned local body administrators should make a field visit and examine the facilities at all houses from April 12 to 15.
The vigilance squads should also complete the inspections by April 30. Legal actions will be initiated against those who fail to adhere to the directions. In case of failure to take action, then the concerned local body secretaries will be held accountable. Flats and gated colonies too will be included in the project.
Doorstep collection
The details of wards in each of the local bodies where the Haritha Karma Sena members are yet to be deployed should be handed over to the concerned officials by Friday itself.
They should fill the gap by deploying Kudumbashree workers. At least a couple of Harita Karma Sena members should be deployed in each ward before March 25. They will be provided adequate training by the concerned local bodies from March 26 to 30. It should be ensured that the activities as per the government's direction are being implemented on the ground.
The Haritha Karma Sena should become active in all wards from April one onward. By May one, the garbage, which should be fully segregated, should be collected through the Haritha Karma Sena.
Procurement and handling
If any region doesn’t have material collection centres to procure and treat the waste, then the same should be constructed on a war footing. Temporary collection centres should be set up in these areas before March 31.
They should be equipped with a weighing machine to determine the waste quantity, and a waste management system to determine the amount of segregated waste being sent back. It should be strictly monitored as to where the private agencies are disposing of the waste.
Treatment of toilet waste
The functioning of private agencies which are entrusted with the treatment of toilet waste should be strictly monitored. It should be ensured that these wastes reach the waste treatment plant itself.
For this, the trucks transporting the same should be fitted with a GPS system. The flats, apartments, and the like, which generate waste in large quantities, have time till June 30 to set up waste treatment facilities.
Steps for waste removal from public space & water sources
A special project is being implemented from May one to 10 to remove waste from public spaces. The cleaning operations will be carried out in coordination with Harita Karmasena, Bonded Workers, Kudumbashree, Resident Associations, Youth Clubs, etc. Hotspots will be identified in each local body for the purpose.
As part of it, two clusters comprising 50 volunteers will be constituted in each ward. Steps are also in place to strengthen the pre-monsoon cleaning operations. Waste bins will be installed at major points and the Harita Karma Sena will be tasked to remove waste from these on a daily basis. The water sources will be cleaned during the period from May 11 to May 20.
War rooms for evaluating action plan progress
War rooms will be set up at district and regional levels to assess the activities connected to the action plan. The district-level empower committee being formed at collectorates will be given free authority. The collector will be the nodal officer of this committee. Besides, war rooms on a regional basis will be opened at each local body institution.
Council meetings of local bodies will be convened every week to evaluate the activities. A report on daily activities will be submitted to the district-level committee by the Health Standing Committee.
The activities similarly carried out by each of the local bodies will be codified and a comprehensive report prepared and published on May 22. The public can lodge complaints with regard to the same from May 24 to 31. The Harithamyam smart garbage mobile app will have the facility for this. Based on the complaints, the vigilance will carry out inspections, besides auditing by ‘janakeeya samiti’.
Extensive awareness programmes
Ahead of the implementation of the action plan, extensive awareness programmes will be kicked off from the next day onwards. The same will be implemented under the leadership of war rooms. The awareness activities will be different from usual campaigns and will focus on the laws on waste management and the punishment for violation of the same.
Protest at Brahmapuram
Meanwhile, local residents tried to stop the trucks that had brought garbage collected from Kochi city while protesting against the fire at Brahmapuram.
The lorries loaded with garbage were brought to the plant from Maharajas College premises under police escort around 1.30 am.
