Efforts to HEAL Kochi under way

KOCHI: The corporation has decided to launch a project called HEAL-- Health, Environment, Agriculture and Livelihood-- aimed at giving the city a facelift.Mayor M Anilkumar announced the project during the special council meeting convened to discuss the project.“The project is envisaged to reduce the waste menace in the city and thereby make Kochi more beautiful. Waste segregation and use of modern machinery to treat garbage will be the highlight of the HEAL project,” the Mayor said while directing the Health Standing Committee to prepare a master plan for the project to be implemented at Brahmapuram.

The Mayor also said that the garbage fee will soon be  collected by the corporation directly. “With the implementation of the scheme, the user fee for garbage disposal will be collected from households. The council will formulate a solid waste treatment by-law that will include details of the plan. Based on this, the user fee will be fixed by the corporation,” he said.

The corporation council also decided to seek permission from the government to hire 400 daily labourers.However, the Opposition alleged that the project lacked clarity on several issues. “It is not practical for the division councillors to take the lead in collecting user fees from households.The project was announced eyeing the local body election,” said Anthony Kureethara, Congress parliamentary party leader.