Ten wards in North Paravur municipality will go ‘zero waste’ and set up decentralised biodegradable waste management systems in all households by December.
The 10 ‘model’ wards will showcase the best of zero waste management practices as part of the government initiative to encourage local bodies to implement waste-free plans by 2019.
“North Paravur was selected from among the municipalities in Ernakulam to implement the zero waste model ward project. The government had shortlisted such wards from a select municipality in each district to roll out the initiative,” said municipal chairman Ramesh D. Kurup.
The municipality has adopted a twin strategy to achieve the goal of zero waste by the start of next year. Green volunteers have started collecting plastic and other non-biodegradable waste from houses. Paper and plastic waste will be collected from houses once a month. The collection of breakable glass material, medicine strips, toothpaste tubes, cosmetic items, other tubes and covers will be done on a periodic basis. The items will be stored at a material recovery facility before giving it to vendors for recycling.
Mr. Kurup said all the households in the 10 model wards would have decentralised waste management systems within six months. The objective is to manage the waste at source. Families could set up kitchen bins, biogas plants or pipe compost units as part of the decentralised waste management process, he added.
Biogas produced from each unit could be used for cooking, while the manure generated from kitchen bins could be used for the vegetable gardens or plants in the households. The beneficiaries will get subsidy for setting up the systems for treatment of biodegradable waste at the point of its generation. The family members will get training in the effective use of the waste processing systems.
The North Paravur municipality had also carried out awareness and training sessions involving representatives of residents’ associations, political parties, environmentalists, senior citizens, managements of hospitals and business establishments. Select representatives of residents’ associations are part of the core team along with elected representatives from each ward. Clean Kerala Company will help in the transportation of electronic waste generated in the municipality.