Minister for Local Self-Governments M.B. Rajesh on Tuesday urged new local body representatives in the State to give top priority to waste management, as it is critical to sustaining the progress achieved by the State in the sector.
Speaking after inaugurating a series of initiatives of the Suchitwa Mission at Residency Tower near the Secretariat here, Mr. Rajesh said Kerala had reached a decisive stage in its efforts towards achieving a waste-free status. “The continuation of the progress made so far depends largely on the active involvement of newly elected local body representatives,” he said.
The Minister inaugurated ’Vrithi’, a newsletter brought out by the Suchitwa Mission, the weekly radio programme ’Malinyamuktham Navakeralam’, and a disaster-time waste management protocol. He said the State government had responded to challenges in the sector, including the Brahmapuram fire incident, by strengthening institutional mechanisms and improving infrastructure.
Decentralised and centralised models
According to Mr. Rajesh, efforts to reinforce the Haritha Karma Sena and to create basic facilities for the collection and processing of biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste have advanced significantly in recent years. He said the government aimed to strike a balance between decentralised and centralised waste management models to ensure efficiency and sustainability.
