With just a month to go before the current fiscal ends, the district administration has decided to initiate stringent action against a few panchayat secretaries who have failed to cooperate with the implementation of the Zero Waste project.
Revenue Department officials said that the secretaries who were responsible for the project delay, including the setting up of material recovery facilities and shredding units, would be served show-cause notice under the Disaster Management Act.
At a recent district-level review meeting, District Collector U.V. Jose also cautioned panchayat administrators who were found apathetic to the initiative which was planned in 70 panchayats with the support of the Suchitwa Mission last year. Many local bodies defended themselves, claiming that residents were opposed to the idea as they believed that the project would eventually convert their surroundings into waste dumping yards.
For now, 23 of the 63 panchayats have completed tendering procedures to set up waste management facilities. Some have also started material collection with the support of a green technicians’ collective. However, the rest of the local bodies have been found lagging behind despite frequent directives from the district administration and Suchitwa Mission coordinators.
Opposition
According to project coordinators, residents’ opposition has affected the setting up of material recovery facilities at Thodannur, Chelannur, Perambra, Olavanna, Kunnummal, and Thuneri. At Thodannur and Chelannur, residents have been non-cooperative, though there has been progress in the case of four block panchayats, they said.
Suchitwa Mission officials said that the government had already allocated ₹61 lakh for completing the first phase of the Zero Waste project in Kozhikode district. For those who are still ignorant of the technical details, mode of implementation, and utility, three project clinics will be organised this week with the support of experts, they added.
On March 17, the District Collector will convene a meeting of MLAs and heads of local bodies.
Ahead of the meeting, political parties have been told to take a close look at the ongoing protests and motivate their supporters to cooperate with the implementation of the scheme and convince them of its utility in the future.
