Kottayam administration steps in to tackle waste management issue

With the local bodies demonstrating their lack of competence in tackling the solid waste management scenario in the district, the administration itself has stepped in to lend support in empowering these bodies in their endeavour.

According to District Collector Ajith Kumar, the basic strategy adopted in the project would be to find a way to process the solid waste at the ward level, both in grama panchayats and in four municipalities.

A meeting of stakeholders held here on Monday has decided to take up the scheme on an experimental basis in one ward each at Kottayam municipality and Mutholi, Athirampuzha and Kanjirappally grama panchayats.

While Mutholi grama panchayat, which has the distinction of bagging the Swaraj Trophy for five consecutive terms and a record 11-year stint in 100 per cent Plan expenditure, already has an ongoing project, the other local bodies are expected to commence work by the end of this month.

The formal inauguration of the project at Athirampuzha grama panchayat has been scheduled for October 26.

According to Mr. Ajith Kumar, the ward members and residence associations are expected to play a pivotal role in the implementation of the project.

It will commence with a campaign in data gathering in the selected wards so the locally-specific strategy could be finalised on the basis of ground realities.

The survey, being undertaken with the help of National Service Scheme (NSS) and Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) volunteers, will look into the number of apartments, independent residences, commercial buildings, individual commercial enterprises and schools. It would also quantify the number of pipe compost units, biogas units now in use, Mr. Ajith Kumar said.

In Kottayam municipality, the authorities have zeroed in on Ward 20 for taking up the waste processing programme on an experimental basis.

“Let us focus on select wards and put our efforts into the sanitation issue in those wards. We will be able to find the pros and cons of the strategies. We can take corrective measures to perfect the strategies so we will be able to replicate them in other wards,” Mr Ajith Kumar said.

Project aims to find a way to process solid waste at ward level, both in grama panchayats and in four municipalities in the district.