Now, corporation all set to launch no-burn campaign

Thiruvananthapuram: Corporation will launch a no-burn campaign as part of Environment Week celebrations from June 5 to 11.
Civic body officials have been trying to put an end to open burning of all kinds of waste by arranging collection drives for dry waste. However, most often even the contingent employees of the civic body were caught burning plastic.
At a council meeting held in 2017, BJP councillor Karamana Ajith had produced video clips of corporation workers burning plastic waste in the open. Ajith had questioned the earnestness of the council in propagating anti-plastic campaign when it let the workers burn plastic waste at will in the open.
He had recorded the clip at Thycaud when he spotted six corporation workers burning plastic waste. The civic body has long been dealing with the issue of its workers collecting household waste without segregation and burning it in public places.
“In spite of organizing regular collection drives and arranging dry waste collection points, many residents still resort to burning of waste, especially plastic. We are kicking off a campaign to put an end to this practice,” said an official associated with corporation’s health wing.
The increased rate of burning of waste even prompted pollution control board to conduct a study on harmful emissions like dioxins.
The corporation will also launch collection boxes for dry leaves as part of Environment Week observance. Five boxes will be placed in select centres and it would be transported to aerobic bins set up at various places in the city.
The workers are often seen sweeping up all kinds of waste and then burn it using dry leaves in streets. The health wing aims to curb this practice by collecting dry leaves from all possible places and use it for aerobic bin composting.
Dry leaves act as source of carbon, which are packed in sandwich form along with biodegradable waste and cow-dung or inoculum. Four-five layers could be made in a bin with a capacity of two tonnes.
A fair, with different kinds of composters and distribution of bio-composters, will also be organized as part of Environment Week observance.
Bins for segregated waste collection will also be placed in two centres as part of launching segregated waste collection hubs.
Selfie point, gaming area, and sales counter for environment-friendly articles, will be the other attractions.