Construct waste disposal plants first

Government is about to implement a comprehensive set of rules for waste disposal with the aim to make Kerala a garbage-free state. This is not an aim that can be achieved by fixing an auspicious time to implement the rules and regulations. The state has been suffering from the issue of garbage disposal for more than a decade. An attempt to rectify the issue by planting centralized garbage disposal plants was first initiated during the period of the Oommen Chandy government. After the shutting down of the Vilappilsala waste plant due to errors in management, no new large-scale waste disposal plants have been established in the state. The protest from the communities is the main reason. With the experience of Vilappilsala right in front of them, nobody is expected to agree to a waste plant in their locality.

Modern waste disposal plants can be operated without errors. But the people should be convinced of the same by establishing and operating these plants first. Watching the people protesting with tied hands will not clear the problem of garbage disposal. Indore city of Madhya Pradesh state is the cleanest city in India. It was the support of a strong set of rules that helped them achieve this position. M.B. Rajesh, Minister of the Local Self Government Department said that the rules shall be put into action with the Indore model of waste deposal as reference. There have been protests on the idea to implement a user fee for waste disposal. But nobody who expects their land and city to be garbage free is expected to protest against this. A good percentage of people from the state have visited other countries. Many do get vocal when talking about the cleanliness and city maintenance of these countries. Even though there is a user fee, if the problem of waste collection and disposal is finally met with a solution, the people may welcome it eventually. As said before, the procedures for implementation of error-free waste disposal plants to gain the participation and cooperation of the people is the first thing to be done.

The law to make user fees compulsory is being implemented. In some parts of the city of Trivandrum, user fee for waste disposal is already being collected. The system is running smoothly as well. This is a system that can be extended to all the urban bodies and panchayats as well. Before the law is passed, the establishment of decentralized waste disposal plants has to be put into action. The excuse that this cannot be done because the people are protesting cannot be accepted as such. Only when the idea is implemented without fail that the protests from people can be overcome.

The Local Self Government Department is organizing a global meet in Kochi next month intending to make the state completely waste free. The changes and advanced technologies in waste collection and disposal all over the world will be on display there. The meet which will have expert participants on a national and international level must be effectively used. Many countries produce energy from waste. It becomes a costly fertilizer that way. There must be the knowledge that waste is not just waste and it can be turned into a costly resource eventually.