The efforts by the authorities in reducing the volume of waste generated in the festival venues of Kottayam has received a major boost with the implementation of the green protocol during the ongoing Ashtami festival at the Vaikom Mahadeva temple turning out to be a grand success.
The green protocol norms at the festival venue, which is being implemented for the first time here, stipulates a blanket ban on products made of plastics below 50 microns, disposable plates and glasses and flex boards. Instead, boards using eco-friendly materials have been erected in front of all trade stalls and other commercial establishments.
The implementation of green protocol norms at the festival venue here, which witnesses a massive public turnout, is being coordinated by the Haritha Kerala Mission and District Suchitwa Mission in association with Vaikom municipality.
As part of it, plates and tumblers made of stainless steel are being used for the free meal and drinking water offered in the temple premises. Special squads formed by the civic body have been deployed in the area to enforce the protocol implementation and counters have been opened for distributing paper bags.
Members of the Green Army and Kudumbashree have been engaged to collect the wastes from the bins at various points. Steps are also in place to segregate and process the degradable and non-degradable waste materials.
Security increased
The entire town has been put under a thick security blanket to prevent untoward incidents. As many as 600 police officials have been deployed in six sectors.
The entire area has been put under a CCTV camera network, which is controlled and monitored from a hi-tech control room operating from the Vaikom police station near here.
The town, where tens of thousands of pilgrims visit every year during the festival at the temple here and also during the Sabarimala season, witnessed several instances of robbery and chain-snatching over the past few years. Besides, it has also become a hub of drug retailers of late.
Last year, a youth was killed here during a street fight, which broke out during the festival season here.
