The Hindu 06.01.2010
Solid waste disposal in State needs to change: Minister
Staff Reporter
| Pollution Control Boards meet in Alappuzha |
Shortage of land affecting waste disposal
Water monitoring station for Periyar river this year itself
ALAPPUZHA: Stating that the overall picture of solid waste management at the municipal level in the State was dismal, Health Minister P.K. Sreemathy has called upon the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to come up with innovative methods for solid waste disposal.
Inaugurating the Fourth Southern Regional Conference of chairmen and member secretaries of State Pollution Control Boards and Pollution Control Committees here on Tuesday, Ms. Sreemathy said the shortage of land, which had led to public opposition to certain proposed sites for waste treatment plants, was a major issue that had to be tackled along with the process of churning out new methods for waste disposal.
Lack of funds
Though some Corporations in the State had achieved good progress in the sector, the overall picture remained dismal.
Coupled with this dilemma was the lack of funds for Government hospitals to entirely implement Bio-Medical Waste rules.
The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests should explore the possibility of making funds available exclusively for Government hospitals for pollution control, she said.
Calling for the consideration of per capita availability of resources while fixing norms for financial assistance for improving infrastructure to States, the Minister said Kerala faced a shortage in this aspect.
Informing that a Continuous Ambient Water Quality Monitoring Station for the Periyar River in the Eloor area would be commissioned this financial year itself, Ms. Sreemathy said a similar air quality monitoring station was essential in the Greater Kochi area as well.
An air quality monitoring station should be set up at Pudussery panchayat in Palakkad district as well, considering the high number of steel mills there, the Minister said.
Local opposition
The efforts of the State Government to set up three common hazardous waste disposal facilities had met with a dead end due to the protest of local people.
This issue had to be addressed.
Plastic thickness
At the same time, the State Government was in the process of increasing the minimum thickness of plastic carry bags and containers to 50 microns as against the national standard of 20 microns as part of its anti-plastic campaign, she added.
CPCB chairman S.P. Gautam, member secretary J. S. Kamyotra and Kerala PCB chairman S.D. Jeyaprasad also spoke.
