The Ramavarmapuram Grama Samudayam (RGS) has achieved the distinction of being the first among religious societies or cultural and residents’ associations in the city to set up its own incinerator.
At a function held at the temple hall in Puthen Street on Sunday, Mayor K. Chandrika inaugurated the installation of the decentralised solution to waste management, intended to process the waste generated at the temple and its adjacent hall.
The areas in the city considered to be the worst affected by the closure of the Vilappilsala solid waste management factory are the wards surrounding Padmanabhaswamy Temple, such as Fort, Manacaud and Sreekanteshwaram. Families live in ‘agraharams’, densely populated regions with virtually no compound and hence have no choice but to dump garbage on public waysides.
“Even the Padmanabhaswamy Temple is yet to set up a system. The move by RGS would prompt others to come up with solutions on their own,” said Ms. Chandrika. She noted that Shanthi Kavadam functioned using the same technology of electrical incineration and no complaints had been raised regarding air pollution.
She dismissed claims that the civic body would take over the management of the mobile incinerator acquired by the State government as a temporary measure. “Why would we assume responsibility for something that was found faulty right at the testing stage,” said the Mayor.
She also urged those present to abandon the use of plastic carry bags. She hoped that in six months the city would have markedly reduced use of plastic bags.
R. Suresh, president of RGS, said the association used to incur massive expenditure by employing an agency to collect the waste and dispose of it elsewhere. He admitted that there would be teething problems, but it is a step forward. The cost of purchase and installation of this system was Rs.3 lakh, he said. He said the waste would be segregated into paper and organic waste and no plastics would be fed into the system, thereby eliminating any possibility of pollution.
