Thiruvananthapuram: Councillors in the Attukal Pongala wards have been demanding that landfills be identified before the festival. However since the Corporation is going forward with a strategy in which waste is used to create value, DC checked with some experts if the same can be applied here. Depending on landfills will not be such a bad idea, if the waste generated during the festival did not have plastic content in it, according to Corporation officials.
The devotees themselves would bring plastic carry bags, which they would discard near the kilns. In addition, people who provide 'annadanam' or refreshments to the faithful, bring disposable cups and plates. "Last year, when green protocol was first imposed, the amount of plastic was greatly reduced. This time, temple authorities have promised complete cooperation to implement green protocol. This time the problem would not be even less," said an official.
A great chunk of the waste produced consists of 'kothumbu' (spathe) and firewood. The Corporation in Sasthamanagalam ward has been successful in identifying people who are interested in using coconut husks. When asked if something similar can be done in this case, Corporation officials said that the firewood would be burning, and transporting them to another place is a difficult job in itself. They said that there would not be a problem finding sites to dump this waste, as every year, the Corporation has been successfully doing it.
