The city Corporation found a place among the local bodies that were accorded the ‘clean’ status on Saturday.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan declared ‘clean’ status for 501 grama panchayats and 58 municipalities, as part of the 100-day action plan.
Following the declaration through videoconference, Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran presented the award and the citation to Mayor K.Sreekumar at the Corporation office.
Mr.Surendran said that the achievements of the Corporation in implementing a robust decentralised waste management system after the closure of the centralised waste treatment plant at Vilappilsala is a model worth following.
The model has won accolades at the national and international levels.
Earth Day award
The Mayor said that the Corporation had also recently won the Earth Day Network Star Municipal Leadership Award, instituted by the Earth Day Network, a non-profit organisation which organises the annual observance of Earth Day. He said that the recognition from the State government as well as the other awards will spur the civic body for further efforts in this sphere.
The city Corporation, which was dependent on a centralised system till the closure of the Vilappilsala plant in 2011, made a shift to decentralised waste management systems, with the setting up of aerobic bins for community waste composting at the ward levels and by the distribution of kitchen bins for waste treatment at the household level.
Collection points were also opened for non-biodegradable waste.
These are taken to material recovery facilities, from where it is handed over to various agencies for recycling purposes.
The City Corporation also organises periodic collection of non-biodegradable waste. It has also set up a licensing system for septage waste collection and disposal, which has put an end to dumping of septage waste in water bodies and in public spaces.
In the district, 47 grama panchayats, five municipalities and five block panchayats were declared as clean.
Other than the city Corporation, Varkala, Attingal, Nedumangad and Neyyatinkara municipalities and Parassala, Kilimanoor, Varkala, Nedumangad and Vellanad block panchayats were given the clean status.
Winners
The winners among the grama panchayats are Parassala, Chenkal, Karode, Kulathoor, Poovar, Karumkulam, Kanjiramkulam, Athiyannur, Kollayil, Perunkadavila, Kallikkadu, Aryankode, Poovachal, Vellanad, Tholikode, Vithura, Kattakada, Malayinkeezh, Balaramapuram, Aruvikkara, Karakulam, Anad, Vembayam, Peringamala, Pangode, Vamanapuram, Nandiyode, Manikkal, Andoorkonam, Mangalapuram, Kizhuvilam, Vakkam, Manamboor, Chemmaruthi, Ottoor, Edava, Elakamon, Cherunniyoor, Madavoor, Karavaram, Pazhayakunnummel, Pulimath, Navayikkulam, Pallikkal and Nagaroor.
