The Hindu - Kerala 11.08.2009
Area-specific rules for waste disposal in Thrissur soon
Staff Reporter
| Awareness campaign among students to start from August 15 |
— PHOTO: K. K. Najeeb 
DELIBERATIONS: An emergency meeting of the Thrissur Corporation Council on Monday discussing the waste disposal problem.
Thrissur: An emergency meeting of the City Corporation council on Monday decided to formulate area-specific rules for effective solid waste management.
The meeting, convened to discuss practical solutions to waste disposal, called for time-bound execution of recommendations put forward at a recent all-party meeting presided over by the Local Administration Minister Paloli Mohammed Kutty.
Mayor R. Bindu said that the Corporation was open to any creative suggestions to solve the environmental and health problems in Lalur.
“The Corporation is planning a three-week awareness campaign among students starting from August 15.
An alternative waste management culture should begin with children,” he said.
Opposition councillors, led by I. P. Paul, urged the Corporation to appoint an expert committee to study the existing methods of waste management.
“Scientific studies should be done to asses the efficacy of engineered land filling for disposing non-degradable waste. The existing biodegradable waste processing machines are non-functional. Those machines should be repaired,” Mr. Paul pointed out.
Congress councillors alleged that a nexus between Corporation officials and contractors was derailing the garbage disposal drive at Lalur.
They said the Corporation lacked clarity of vision about waste disposal.
BJP councillor N. Prasad called for stringent action against those dumping hazardous waste at street corners.
“Many flats directly discharge waste water from toilets to the canals. A heavy fine should be imposed on such anti-social elements,” he demanded.
Chairman of the Standing Committee on Health Josy Chandy called for popularising degradable plastics.
The council decided to find suitable land for setting up additional dump yards.
An all-party meeting, attended by Local Administration Minister Paloli Mohammed Kutty and Revenue Minister K. P. Rajendran last week here called for short-term and long-term solutions to garbage disposal.
Weekly monitoring
The meeting suggested weekly monitoring of waste disposal at Lalur and change of rules so that new waste management strategies could be devised