Thiruvananthapuram: In a move to make Kerala more cleaner and greener, the Left administration is planning to convert around 3,000 garbage dump sites across the state into ‘Sneharamam’ parks, the government said on Wednesday (September 27). The government’s Higher Education Department will tie up with the National Service Scheme (NSS) to carry out the ambitious plan, the Kerala Solid Waste Management Project (KSWMP) said in a release. It is a three-month project conceived under the ‘Malinya Muktham Nava Keralam’ (garbage free new Kerala) campaign and would commence from October 2 on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, the release said.
As part of the project, first such garbage dump sites would be located through reports from local self-government institutions (LSGIs) or the portal of KSWMP and after getting the go-ahead from the LSGIs to clean up such plots, the work will be carried out by local units of the NSS, it said.
Suchitwa Mission, the Technical Support Group (TSG) in the waste management sector under the Local Self Government Department, will provide Rs 5,000 for the setting-up of each unit of ‘Sneharamam’, it said and added that Rs 1.5 crore has been earmarked for the project.
The money will be disbursed to NSS through LSGIs on completion of each unit. Additional funds, if necessary, can be sourced locally, including through sponsors. The release said,
LSGIs, along with local NSS units, will locate those dumpsites which can be developed into Sneharamams.
Also Read: Municipal Corporation of Delhi To Remove ‘Mini Garbage Mountains’ Under Cleanliness Campaign
Besides raising green strips, parks or gardens after cleaning the garbage dump sites, NSS volunteers also have the freedom to show their artistic creativity by making installations from local waste, it said.
The entire project is slated to conclude by December 31, following which the Sneharamams will be dedicated on the New Year Day of 2024, it said.
The subsequent maintenance of the parks or green strips would be carried out by the NSS, it added.
The project modalities would be worked out this week in a meeting of civic body representatives, NSS programme officers, unit secretaries and officials of Malinya Muktham Nava Keralam, the release said.
Also Read: Kerala Government Launches Rs 2,400 Crore Solid Waste Management Project
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
NDTV – Dettol have been working towards a clean and healthy India since 2014 via the Banega Swachh India initiative, which is helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. The campaign aims to highlight the inter-dependency of humans and the environment, and of humans on one another with the focus on One Health, One Planet, One Future – Leaving No One Behind. It stresses on the need to take care of, and consider, everyone’s health in India – especially vulnerable communities – the LGBTQ population, indigenous people, India’s different tribes, ethnic and linguistic minorities, people with disabilities, migrants, geographically remote populations, gender and sexual minorities. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign will continue to raise awareness on the same along with focussing on the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children, fight malnutrition, mental wellbeing, self care, science and health, adolescent health & gender awareness. Along with the health of people, the campaign has realised the need to also take care of the health of the eco-system. Our environment is fragile due to human activity, which is not only over-exploiting available resources, but also generating immense pollution as a result of using and extracting those resources. The imbalance has also led to immense biodiversity loss that has caused one of the biggest threats to human survival – climate change. It has now been described as a “code red for humanity.” The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene. Banega Swasth India will also be taking forward the dream of Swasth Bharat, the campaign feels that only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF)status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and the country can become a Swasth or healthy India.
