The considerable reduction in the amount of waste produced after the Attukal Pongala in the past three years has come as a relief for the city Corporation. From the 80 tonnes of waste produced in 2018, it had come down to 67 tonnes last year. This year, it has further come down to 54 tonnes. According to officials of the city Corporation, the fall could be attributed to the increased awareness due to the constant campaigns on the green protocol.
“The amount of waste produced this year would have stayed below 50. But, in some wards around the temple, it has been noticed since last year that several people dump other waste materials stored inside their houses using this cleaning as an opportunity. We have got old broken beds, chairs and other materials, which they could have given at the material recovery centres,” said a health official.
This was the 5th year of the green protocol being implemented at the Attukal Pongala. The amount of plastic waste is negligent. Health officials say that plastic carry bags are almost absent, while much of the plastic is from the plastic covers used for branded items, including rice and other materials. Reports have come from 10 places regarding violation of green protocol, especially drinking water distributed in plastic or paper cups. Notices will be served on the voluntary organisations responsible for this.
“The people have taken up our campaign against use of plastic materials for Pongala. It is evident in the less amount of plastic waste this year,” said Corporation Mayor K. Sreekumar.
Within hours of the pongala getting over, the Corporation’s sanitation workers cleaned up most of the main roads.
3,387 workers
As many as 3,387 sanitation workers were involved in the work, with 2,200 of them being appointed temporarily for pongala cleaning.
Their work was overseen by a team of health supervisors, health inspectors and junior health inspectors.
The health inspectors also video graphed the pongala proceedings in each circle, in view of the COVID-19 scare. These videos will be stored for a period of one month and will be handed over to the Health Department, if need be.
Bricks for houses
In addition, 300 volunteers from the Kerala State Youth Welfare Board and 250 green army volunteers of the city Corporation were involved in the collection of pongala bricks.
These bricks, now stored at the Jagathy ground, would be used for the construction of houses as part of the government’s housing schemes for the poor.
The cleaning activity concluded at night when the main stretch from Palayam to East Fort was washed down with ‘artificial rain’ from 20 tankers.
