KOCHI: Households in Ernakulam need not worry about disposing of plastic and e-waste.
Green volunteers will soon reach your doorsteps to collect non-biodegradable waste as part of the government’s ‘freedom from waste’ initiative. The pilot project will be implemented in Kochi Corporation, Thripunithura, Perumbavoor, and North Paravur. It will be extended to all local bodies in the district in a phased manner.
Officials of the Haritha Kerala Mission said paper and plastic waste would be collected from houses once in every month. The Haritha Sena volunteers will collect breakable glass materials once in three months, while medicine strips and cosmetic items will be sourced once in two months. The green volunteers will reach homes to collect e-waste once in every six months and leather products once in a year.
According to a policy document approved by the government, the existing Kudumbasree or self-help groups can be considered as Haritha Karma Senas once they receive approval from the local bodies concerned. Municipalities, grama, and block panchayats in the district without a similar mechanism can invite expressions of interest from eligible agencies (local entrepreneurs or non-governmental organisations) to be shortlisted as Haritha Karma Senas.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) should be signed between the selected agency and the local bodies concerned for forming Haritha Karma Senas. Thripunithura, Perumbavoor, and North Paravur municipalities are learnt to have initiated steps to sign MoUs with various agencies.
The local bodies that fail to receive expressions of interest from agencies for forming the Senas should form its own green forums to collect non-biodegradable waste. The government guidelines on waste processing across local bodies recommend collection of user fee from citizens for utilisation of common waste processing systems. The local bodies will fix the user fee in accordance with government directives. A survey will be conducted in households to prepare detailed project reports on the quantum of non-biodegradable waste and the facilities required to process it.
The number of green volunteers required for collection of non-biodegradable waste and user-fee from each household will be fixed in accordance with the DPRs. The local bodies can decide whether to fix user fee at reduced rate or exempt families under the BPL category from the ambit of user fee. In such a scenario, the local bodies will have to meet the expenses from its own coffers.