The total quantity of waste generated in Kerala every year is about 25 lakh tonnes. 69% of this  is organic waste and 31% is inorganic waste. About 70% of organic waste contains moisture. Combustibility of inorganic waste is 79.2%. Inorder to achieve status of zero waste kerala, waste management activities need to be started in urban households and should be able to dispose oraganic waste at source. For that, various activities and projects are being implemented in the state. 

Garbage Free Kerala through Harithakarma Sena

Harithakarma sena plays a vital role in achieving the goal of a waste free Kerala. Haritha Karma sena is a professional team consisting of Kudumbashree Women who will be assigned with the responsibility of collection, transportation, processing, recycling / disposal, and management of waste materials in association with respective LSGs and Suchithwa Mission.The harithakarma sena mainly focuses on collection and processing of inorganic waste. There are 1018 Harithakarma sena units are functioning across the state. Out of this, 926 units are working in rural areas and 92 units in urban areas. 23,546 women in rural areas and 4,678 women in urban areas are part of the force.

Harithakarma sena is carrying out activities such as, giving awarness on waste management to the public, providing guidance on composting systems that can be installed in homes and institutions, providing necessary equipment for homes and institutions to dispose oraganic waste at source, and ensuring doorstep collection of non-organic waste. 

Harithakarma sena  provides guidance to households on organic waste management. They also deal with problems arising from disposal of waste at source and ensure assistance of Green Aid Institution if required. They are also looking for new income opportunities by starting Green enterprises that manufacture new products from waste materials. Sena is also engaged in activities like organic farming, manufacturing of environment-friendly products and providing environment-friendly equipment on rent.

The activities carried out by Haritakarmasena aimed at sustainable waste management are being carried out under the leadership of local bodies and under the supervision of Suchitwa Mission, Haritha Kerala Mission and Kudumbashree.There will be atleast 2 sena member per local body ward. Each member will  collect non-biodegradable waste from  around 250 households. Non-organic wastes that are kept clean in households are collected at regular intervals. A user fee is charged for the service as fixed by the local bodies. The waste collected from the households is delivered to the mini material collection center and from there it is transported to the material collection center. Garbage is sorted here. The waste is segregated into different sections based on its features. H.M White, P.P, H.M, LDPrint, Bajar, Ganny, Bulb, PVC, steel, tubes, bottle, E- waste, LD(Glucose), Bottle caps, Spray bottle etc. Local governments will hand over plastic waste that can be recycled to the companies that can use it. Non-recyclable plastic waste is sent to a resource recovery center and is shredded and used for road construction. This enables the recycling of such plastic.

Digital waste management

Harithamithram Smart Garbage Monitor System or Harithamithram App has been launched by Haritha Kerala Mission and Suchithwa Mission to ensure accurate monitoring of services including doorstep collection of Haritha Karmasena. The entire process of solid waste management including door-to-door collection by Haritha Karma Sena members, removal of scrap from material collection facilities, mini material collection facilities, and resource recovery facilities along with management of household and institutional waste in the civic body will be coordinated through the Haritha Mithram smart garbage application. Details such as the amount of user fee received, the amount received through the sale of collected waste item will also be available through the app. Ward level to state level activities will be coordinated under this platform.

A web portal developed as part of the app will coordinate and monitor waste management services. Through a special module provided in the app, the public will be able to access information, point out deficiencies and register complaints. Real time information from local wards to state level will be available in the app. The public can report local pollution issues to their respective local bodies through the app.

The app is being implemented at the local self government level in 2 phases. The work in the first phase is under completion in 376 local self government bodies including 4 Corporations, 59 Municipalities and 313 Gram Panchayats.The first step of the project is to fix QR codes in every households and institutions. About half of these places have started waste collection by scanning the QR code. By the end of this year, the entire waste collection service will switch to this method. The Suchithwa Mission and Haritha Kerala Mission will coordinate the project.

Navakeralam Action Plan

The navaleralam action plan phase 2 focuses on environmental restoration in all possible ways by solving environmental problems that can cause climate change, spread of epidemics and health problems. Efforts are underway to achieve 100% solid waste collection and treatment of all local self-government bodies in Kerala.As a part of this, 42 local self-government bodies have achieved cleanliness status. About five thousand offices have become green offices following the green regulations. The number of households collecting non-organic waste at their doorsteps has increased by around one lakh.

Litter Free Kerala Campaign

Activities have also been expanded in the areas of domestic and biomedical/sanitary waste management, poultry slaughter waste management, construction and demolition waste management, disposal of traditional landfills and solid waste collection in water bodies. Creative activities have also been initiated in the tourism sector. Clean Munnar, Green Munnar and Sankhumugham beach cleaning are prominent among these. Under the leadership of local self govt bodies, the peoples campaign for litter free Kerala has started. The campaign is structured in 4 phases ensuring solid waste collection and storage system.

Kerala Solid Waste Management Project

The total urban solid waste generation in Kerala is 3.7 million tonnes per annum. Out of this, each city corporation produces an average of 1,415 tonnes per day. 45,23 tonnes per day in municipalities and 4,106 tonnes in 941 gram panchayats. Total slaughterhouse waste is 38,100 tonnes per year, hospital waste is 83,000 tonnes and waste from industries is 71,058 tonnes.  Around 827 tonnes of hair is generated from Kerala annually. According to official estimates, Kerala will be more than 90 percent urbanized by 2030. Irrespective of urban-rural distinction, garbage problem becomes a problem for Kerala as a whole. Waste not only leads to serious social and health problems but it will also creates economic opportunities and new possibilities.

The Kerala Solid Waste Management Project is implemented in 93 municipalities of the state with the support of the World Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank at a cost of Rs 2400 crore. The project is a continuation of the ongoing waste management activities in the municipalities of the state. The duration of the project which started in 2021 is 6 years. Although the project period is 6 years, the activities are being implemented with a 25-year perspective.

Our cities generate 2.2 million tonnes of solid waste annually. There is a huge difference in the ratio of waste generated and disposed of. Financial assistance for expansion of existing solid waste management facilities within municipal limits will be provided along with policy formulation, technical support, additional human resources and necessary assistance for staff training and capacity building. The project also ensures development of infrastructure for centralized management of solid waste.

All the houses and institutions under the municipality will be the beneficiaries of the scheme. Collection and treatment of all types of waste including organic and inorganic waste, construction and demolition waste will be ensured from these places. The project will also help improve waste segregation, collection, transfer and scientific treatment and disposal of organic and inorganic waste.

Young professionals will be employed to streamline the implementation of the project in the cities. 2 persons each in the Corporations and 1 each in the Municipalities. 99 candidates with B.Tech/ MBA/ MSW qualification will be appointed. Along with this, a documentation specialist will also be appointed in the Suchithwa Mission. All appointments will be for 3 years. In municipalities, health inspectors coordinate waste-sanitation activities.

Actions implemented at Kollam Kuripuzha Chandi depot and ban on city spitting implemented in Sultan Batheri city are exemplary examples for a clean Kerala.

India's first waste-free Ramsar site

The Kerala Solid Waste Management Project (KSWMP) has initiated efforts to clear the landfills and reclaim that land in the state's traditional landfills. Actions implemented at Kollam Kuripuzha Chandi depot is an exemplary example. Here the waste here was spread over 5.5 acres. Located along Ashtamudi Kayal, a Ramsar site (an area designated by UNESCO's international environmental treaty, the Ramsar Convention), the landfill posed a major environmental threat. Water bodies and wells have become contaminated due to liquid pollutants, creating an acute drinking water crisis. The health problems faced by the nearby residents were also numerous.

The project to dispose of 1.04 lakh cubic meters of conventional waste at the depot was started on January 24, 2022. All the mixed waste dumps here have been completely removed. This is the first time in India that the traditional waste at Ramsar site has been completely removed. Kuripuzha has implemented biomining technology, which separates waste into various components and processes them separately through environmental friendly methods. The activities were under the direct supervision of the Department of Local Self-Government and the Engineering and Health Department of the Kollam Corporation with the approval of the State Pollution Control Board in accordance with the Central Government's rules for solid waste management as per the recommendations of the National Green Tribunal.

  The cost of processing one cubic meter of waste is around Rs 1130. Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) waste, various types of soil, stone, metals, glass, tires, wood, bags, shoes, pens, concrete waste, e-waste etc. were extracted from the heap. Extracted RDF is used in kilns in cement factories. It is also used as a substitute for natural fuels like charcoal and firewood.

Clean Sultan Bathery

Sultan Bathery is the only city in the state to ban spitting in urban public places. The fine for spitting on the road is Rs 500. The municipality will impose strict fines on individuals and institutions for violating the law. Pan shops can also operate only as per the rules. The law is implemented under State Municipal Act 341.

Strong laws against littering

Live in a clean and litter free environment is a fundamental right under Article 21 of the Constitution. Chapter 14 of the Indian Penal Code clearly provides for acts prejudicial to public health and punishment for those who commit them. These mainly fall under sections 268, 269, 270, 277, 278, 284 and 291.

Offenses under Solid Waste Management Rules

1. Dispose of solid waste without segregation and disposal except as directed by the local government.

2. Non-scientific disposal of waste in places like commercial centers, hospitals etc.

3. Incineration and dumping of solid waste.

4. Non-arrangement of sewage treatment system in gated colonies and institutions.

5. Non-arrangement of garbage disposal system in hotels and restaurants.

6. Littering in public places.

7. Dumping or discharge of waste to pollute water bodies and water supply systems.
 
8. Burying and dumping slauther waste  other than at designated disposal sites.

If you dump garbage in public place, fine should be paid within 15 days. Failure to comply with the law can result in imprisonment of up to 5 years or fine up to one lakh rupees or both.

If there is an outbreak of disease due to careless dumping of waste, the person can be imprisoned for up to 6 months or fined or both.

A person who disposes of waste with the knowledge that it will cause harm to others and causes the spread of epidemic diseases shall be punished with imprisonment for 2 years or with fine or with both.

Last updated on : 2023-09-27 13:52:24