Plastic-shredding units in all Panchayats

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Social Welfare and Panchayat Minister M K Muneer has announced that the Government would ensure installation of at least one plastic-shredding unit in each panchayat.He was inaugurating a demonstration-cum- workshop on indigenous technologies in waste management organised by the Suchitwa Mission in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday.Muneer said that the government had increased the subsidy for developing new technologies to treat household waste to 75 per cent. The Municipal and Panchayat Acts would be amended through an Ordinance, which would strengthen the endeavours to ensure proper management of waste. "This is highly imperative to make the state a plastic and waste-free zone,’’ he said.Muneer, though retaining his trademark smile, lambasted the attitude of the people who dump waste in public places to sanctify their premises. "Everyone pursues NIMB (Not in my backyard) policy. They are highly conscious of their personal hygiene. But, in the pursuit of keeping their houses clean, they are creating big problems for the public. Localisation of waste treatment is the lone way out,’’ he added.Regarding the High Court verdict to penalise those who dispose of garbage in public places, he said that such a verdict was laudable and that it would help curb this growing menace.Before attending the workshop, the Minister  visited the exhibition of indigenous waste management technologies lined up by various institutions accredited with Suchitwa Mission.Hinting at the significance of homemade  mechanisms to deal with the garbage issue, he said that "they are enough to tackle localised garbage issues".But for big cities like Kochi, sophisticated waste-treatment processes like Pyrolysis had to be implemented.The Minister announced that local bodies who effectively found a viable solution to dispose of waste would be rewarded.Mayor K Chandrika, in her presidential address, said that resolving the Vilappilsala issue was not the Corporation’s responsibility alone. The public should partner with the government to find an amicable solution."Developing a cost-effective waste management system is a must to make the city a waste-free zone,’’ she added.Local Self-Government Department Principal  Secretary James Varghese IAS delivered the   keynote address. Chairman of the Chamber of Municipal Chairmen Jamal Manakkadan, Local Self-Government Department Secretary R K Singh  and Suchitwa Mission director M Dileepkumar  also were present.