The mere sight of garbage makes many of us hold our noses. However, several others see waste as an opportunity to generate revenue by converting it to manure. Kerala even has a civic body that has taken the waste-to-energy route. Many of them are models worth replicating in our journey towards a garbage-free Kerala.
Water and manure from septage: The Changanassery model
When processing septage posed a challenge to the Changanassery municipality, it came up with a brilliant idea. The civic body launched a mobile septage treatment plant, which visits residences and institutions and processes the waste. The mobile plant, launched in May, could be contacted and booked over the phone.
The mobile plant comprises a small truck fitted with filters and treatment units.
The processed water could be used for agricultural purposes, and solid wastes in small quantities are converted into compost. The plant could process 6,000 litres of septage per hour. The civic body charges Rs 5,000 per hour in municipality areas and an additional Rs 1,000 in nearby panchayats. The plant, costing Rs 45 lakh, was manufactured and maintained by Thiruvananthapuram-based Bhouma Envirotech Private Limited.
Collectors and green police: Lesson from Bedadukka
It may sound strange, but schools at the Bedadukka panchayat in the Kasaragod district have included a new lesson in their syllabus: To segregate waste. Four boxes each were given to the schools to collect organic and inorganic waste as part of the panchayat's "Collectors @ School" programme.
It also formed a "Green Police" force, a collective of school students. The Haritha Karma Sena in the panchayat collects inorganic waste from the 8,424 houses. Shops and other establishments in the panchayat are also provided with the boxes.
Perinthalmanna's pride: Waste-to-energy
The Perinthalmanna municipality in the Malappuram district has the unique distinction of being the only civic body in the state that generates power from waste. Garbage that is not fit to be used in power generation is converted into compost.
The municipality won the State Pollution Control Board's award for its initiative. Perinthalmanna's waste-to-energy plant and related facilities are spread over more than 13 acres. The municipality collects four tonnes of inorganic waste through its 80-member-strong Haritha Karma Sena. The Sena members got more than Rs 1.50 crore as users' fees in 2023.
The municipality's Bioshakti plant could process two tonnes of organic waste to generate energy per day. The plant uses the power it generates to operate its machines. The work of a Biotech Plant is nearing completion. An academic centre that studies the possibilities of garbage and spreads awareness is also getting ready.
Additionally, steps have been initiated for a plant to process septage. The existing plant has surveillance cameras. It is in the process of procuring de-dusters to clear surface dust, and the necessary equipment to bundle garbage waste and dispose of waste that could not be reused, Clean City Manager C K Valsan said.
Waste as bonus: Eloor's success story
The Haritha Karma Sena at Eloor in Kochi gets a bonus for Vishu and Onam festivals. The members received Rs 50,000 each as bonus last year.
The Sena launched a library, Kalabhavan Mani Smaraka Vayanasala, on the municipality office premises. It also has a 'Zero-waste Peedika' (shop), giving on rent glass cups, plates, ice-cream bowls, etc. The municipality recorded 100 per cent of inorganic waste collection users' fees. The user's fee could be remitted digitally by scanning a QR code.
The Sena has also beautified the locality by growing plants between the FACT Junction and the municipal office, developing gardens, painting the office walls, and developing a selfie point to ensure public participation. Municipality Chairman AD Sujit said the Suchitwa Mission has allotted Rs 40 lakh for taking up such projects till 2025.
Bathery embraces a new culture
Clean roads — spick and span like front yards of houses — make Bathery in Wayanad stand out. The municipality has nurtured a new culture to keep the area clean in association with merchants and industrialists, auto-taxi drivers and the general public. Though it lacks a waste processing unit, it collects garbage and disposes of it regularly.
Segregated waste is collected from residences and establishments. The civic body has also prepared a blueprint for waste disposal for the next quarter of a century.
The municipality has rolled out a plan to collect septage. It charges Rs 10,000 for each load of septage, whereas other agencies charge up to Rs 25,000. The collected garbage is taken to the plant at Kalpetta, where it is processed.
The Kathiroor heroes
The Kathiroor panchayat in Kannur implemented the Haritha Karma Sena even before the state launched the programme. The civic body has set aside 10 per cent of the users' fees and the proceeds from the sale of plastic waste to meet the treatment expenses of poor cancer patients.
Plastic waste collected from the panchayat's 18 wards is segregated at the plant in Kuttyerichal before being handed over to the Clean Kerala Company. Each of the panchayat's 2,500 families has either ring compost or pipe compost facilities.
Kathiroor is now free of garbage dumping. It ensures plastic cups and plates are not used in functions. It also conducted a Puzhanadatham (walk along the river) to ensure the public's participation in keeping the water bodies clean.
