The zero waste project initiated by the Kozhikode district collector U V Jose and the district panchayat to implement effective waste management system in the district will be launched on January 1. Suchitwa Mission will monitor the project.
The project will include managing both degradable and non-degradable waste, recycling of plastic, glass, leather waste, and setting up sewage and septage treatment plants across the district.
The district administrative authorities have equipped themselves to install mini MRFs (Material Recovery Facility) and super MRFs across panchayats, municipalities and block panchayats in the district. Officials have also decided to set up plants to deal with chicken waste in the district.
Dr. Gopakumar, Health Officer of Kozhikode Corporation, told TNM, “We have already made arrangements to install mini MRFs in all panchayats in the district. All municipalities and block panchayats will be allotted with one super MRF each. The corporations will be given three super MRFs and 13 mini MRFs.”
The officer added, “The collected waste will be temporarily stored in a mini MRF installed in every panchayat. To construct a mini MRF, we will need about 750 sq m space, and we have already identified and approved the places for the construction.”
He further explained, “The waste collected in mini MRFs will be moved to the super MRFs installed in block level panchayats. Seven agencies approved by Suchitwa Mission are designated to manage the super MRFs. The agencies have the freedom to convert the waste into value added products of their choice and take the due benefits.”
A report in The Hindu said that the district collector U V Jose told media here on Wednesday that the Haritha Karma Sena (green task force) will be in charge of collecting the non-biodegradable waste from houses and institutions. The collection will be held on a pre-scheduled date every month from houses and every week from hotels and other similar institutions.
C. Kabani, district co-ordinator of Suchitwa Mission, the monitoring agency, told TNM, “Kozhikode is a city with considerable density of population and if there is a proper system of waste management in place the tendency to litter in public places can be controlled. We have appointed about 30 Kudumbashree workers in each panchayat to collect non-biodegradable waste from households at least twice a month. An amount of Rs 30 to Rs 40 will be collected from each household and used towards remuneration for workers. The collected waste will then be passed on to the MRFs.”
Kabani added, “In the last cleanliness survey conducted by the Central Ministry of Urban Affairs, Kozhikode was ranked 254. That was the first time in the history of Kerala that a district got such a low rank for cleanliness. It was a bitter experience for us.”