'Brahmapuram fire should not repeat anywhere': Kerala CM calls for coordinated efforts to make state garbage-free

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday called for coordinated efforts of various government departments, voluntary organisations, people’s representatives and the general public to making Kerala a completely garbage-free state by next year.

Addressing a meeting of the representatives of various local self-government departments (LSGD) here, the CM said the southern state had the tradition of fighting all the challenges through united and coordinated efforts, whether it was in dealing with covid-19 or natural disasters.

”We should be able to carry out similar coordinated efforts in terms of waste management also and make Kerala a completely garbage-free state,” Vijayan said.

Stating that the meeting of LSGD representatives was called to strengthen the ongoing ”garbage-free Kerala” campaign, he said the mass participation of local people was vital in making the drive successful. The LSGDs in the state should be able to declare their respective areas as garbage-free by March 30, 2024 after ensuring waste segregation and management through the digital tracking system, he said.

Stressing the various responsibilities to be fulfilled by the local self-government departments, he said it should be ensured that bio-degradable and other wastes are segregated at the source itself.

The chief minister said that the fire at Brahmapuram waste plant was an example which emphasised the need for waste segregation at source. ”Waste had been dumped without any segregation at Brahmapuram. It has caused the massive fire. This should not be repeated in any other place,” he cautioned.

The state had been making several significant interventions in the area of waste management since 2016, he said pointing out examples of various government initiatives in this regard. Kerala was able to make strides to ensure basic infrastructure and technology in the areas of waste management through these years, he said. Through the ‘garbage-free Kerala’ campaign, the government envisages taking this progress to the next level, he added.

Coordinated efforts of various government departments, people’s representatives, voluntary outfits and organisations and the general public besides LSGDs could achieve the desired result through the campaign and make the state completely garbage-free by March, 2024, he added.

LSGD Minister M B Rajesh and various government officials took part in the meeting.