The ongoing crackdown on public waste disposal in Kottayam has yielded a whopping ₹36.91 lakh in fines over the past one year alone.
As per official estimates, the drive resulted in the collection of ₹8.93 lakh in penalties within just the first three months of this year. During this period, two enforcement squads in the district carried out 427 inspections.
As part of the waste-free campaign, a total of 5,375.44 tonnes of waste has been removed from the district over the past two years. This includes 1,049.77 tonnes of recyclable materials, 3,623.42 tonnes of non-recyclable waste, 31.57 tonnes of e-waste, 625.72 tonnes of glass waste, and 44.94 tonnes of scrap.
To streamline waste collection, 816 public bins and 700 bottle booths have been installed. The district currently operates 464 public organic waste treatment units. Kottayam also has 16 Resource Recovery Facilities (RRFs), 95 Material Collection Facilities (MCFs) and 1,597 mini MCFs. As many as 2,403 members of the Haritha Karma Sena have been involved in waste collection and segregation.
The authorities are slated to declare Kottayam district waste-free on Monday. Minister for Cooperation, Ports, and Devaswom, V.N. Vasavan, will make the formal declaration at a public function scheduled for 5 p.m. at Thirunakkara.
District Panchayat President Hemalatha Premsagar will inaugurate an exhibition showcasing waste-free initiatives and a painting competition, beginning at 10:30 a.m. on the day.
Published – April 06, 2025 07:59 pm IST
