Calling for a serious introspection on shortcomings in developing an effective waste management system, Sarada Muraleedharan, Additional Chief Secretary, Local Self-Government department (LSGD), has said that inappropriate garbage handling will gravely affect the economy, leading to industries, such as tourism, facing the repercussions.
She was speaking after inaugurating a two-day training programme organised by the department in association with the Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA) to familiarise the functionaries of the State’s urban local bodies with the intensive activities of the three-phase ‘Malinya Muktham Nava Keralam’ launched in March this year.
Noting that the department’s door-to-door collection of waste has “improved considerably”, she said the waste stored at material collection facilities remain unprocessed due to onward linkage-related problems. “This is a cause for concern in the wake of recent fire incidents,” she said, adding that some of the municipalities and corporations are yet to finalise the plans to manage sanitary waste.
She urged the participants to utilise the services of National Service Scheme (NSS) volunteers, student police cadets and trade as well as professional associations besides charity organisations for effective implementation of the waste-management system.
