Going full steam ahead with green protocol

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Corporation is launching a collection drive for steel plates and cups as part of its initiative to implement the green protocol for Attukal pongala, which will be held on Saturday. Considering the huge requirement for eco-friendly steel plates and tumblers the civic body is seeking sponsorship from the public and private organisations. Volunteers of the Corporation will undertake door-to-door collection from organisations which have expressed their willingness to contribute. In addition to this drive, special counters will be opened in the Corporation offices to collect the contributions.

Eco-friendly steel items are being promoted as a substitute for disposable cups and plates which become a waste management challenge for the Corporation. The green volunteers of the Corporation will provide steel items to devotees to distribute food on Attukal pongala (March 2). They will collect the utensils back after the function and the health office will store them.

The banks in the city have agreed to set up collection points at their branches, but have so far received a poor response. NSS volunteers collected around 5,000 steel cups from schools and colleges. The utensils will be handed over to the Corporation soon. “An open collection drive was delayed because we were busy with the Swachh Sarvekshan-2017, a national survey being conducted to rank the cleanest cities. But we will be able to collect enough items within a week,” said an officer in the Corporation.

Health office currently has less than 500 steel cups from the previous collection. With lakhs of devotees attending the festival any collection will not be enough to meet the demand. Hence, the Mayor V K Prasanth had requested devotees to bring their own steel tumblers to drink water and steel plates to serve the offering. Those interested in sponsoring steel utensils may contact project secretariat of the Corporation or call at 9496434434, 9496434461, 9496434492. 

Green Volunteers Roll Call: The Corporation is conducting a roll call for the green volunteers at museum compound on Saturday evening. It is deploying a large number of green volunteers to monitor the implementation of the green protocol. Around 1,000 volunteers will join this time. The members of the green army formed at schools will be given a metal badge and t-shirt. Thirty schools in the city which have green army units will put up a metal board of the unit. Sanitation workers will be given overcoats with reflectors. The Corporation plans to seek sponsorships for all these activities. “A few organisations have come forward to sponsor t-shirts,” said Corporation health inspector, Anoop Roy.