KOCHI: With the central government making elaborate plans to launch Swachh Bharat Abiyan (Clean India campaign) on the Gandhi Jayanthi Day, the Suchitwa Mission under the state government has come out with a detailed week-long campaign in association with local bodies and various departments. These include collection of plastic waste in each locality, swap fairs for usable goods, meeting of Kudumbashree neighbourhood units and various school-college level programmes spread over seven days.
The Suchitwa Mission has asked the officials and people’s representatives to make it an occasion to solve the most important problem of waste disposal. As part of the long-term objective, people have been advised to reject plastic kits and covers below 40 microns and also reduce the dependence on kits above 40 microns. Another advice is to hand over non-biodegradable waste to scrap dealers. The focus of the opening day, the Gandhi Jayanthi, would be on fighting plastic menace.
Community sanitary complexes and their repair would be in focus on day two. The second day would also emphasise on swap fairs for usable goods which are usually thrown away as waste by the first user. Charity organizations and individuals who need such furniture, garment and electronic articles will participate in this.
The third day’s focus would be on anganwadis and the mothers of the kids coming there. The mothers would be made aware of the cleanliness practices to be adopted at their houses. On the fourth day, meetings of neighbourhood groups of Kudumbashree will be convened to increase their role in the Swachh Bharat mission. Seeds and saplings would also be distributed by Agriculture Department and Horticorp.
The working day on October 6 will be utilised to take the message to school and college campuses with the involvement of NSS, NCC, Scouts and Guides etc and also conduct contests. They have been asked to conduct house visits on the final day while the focus on the penultimate day would be offices and hospitals. Local bodies have been allowed to spend up to Rs 75,000 in this regard.
