Temple town to go clean, green

Kochi: The pilgrim town of Chottanikkara, which was a ‘waste town’ so far, will become a   green and zero-waste area soon. The panchayat authorities have improved the waste management system and chalked out an effective action plan with the support of expert agencies. Anoop Jacob, MLA, will announce its clean status on October 26.

As Chottanikkara generates huge quantities of organic and non-biodegradable waste, the panchayat authorities initiated steps on October 2 last year to make the area zero-waste with the support of Haritha Kerala Mission, Integrated Rural Technology Centre (IRTC) and Clean Kerala Company.

Initially, a 28-member green task force was formed and the members were given training on plastic waste segregation and management by the IRTC. Later, 10 cluster committees were formed with each committee member taking care of 10 houses.

The coordinators of IRTC conducted extensive programmes and classes on waste management for residents’ associations, Kudumbashree Mission and socio-cultural organisations.

The green task force members collect inorganic waste from public places and deposit it at the material felicitation centre. Plastic waste from households is collected for a monthly fee of Rs.50 and it is segregated into 14 categories, properly packed and handed over to Clean Kerala Company.

“Inorganic waste from public places is regularly collected and removed. Strict action will be taken against those who dump waste on roads and public places. Surveillance cameras will be installed at important locations. However, plastic waste removal from public places is a big challenge as thousands of pilgrims visit the temple town,” said Ramani Janakan, panchayat president.

Plans are also afoot to collect electronic waste from the area regularly.