Thiruvananthapuram | The Kerala government is taking steps to develop a self-reliant and sustainable waste management system to achieve the goal of a garbage-free state by next year, Minister for Local Self Government, M B Rajesh, said on Friday.

Inaugurating a two-day workshop held here as part of the second phase of the 'Malinya Muktham Nava Keralam' campaign here, the minister said it should be ensured that this phase of the campaign reached all sections of people.

"The aim of this workshop is to plan the second phase of the campaign meticulously through two days of extensive deliberations...The state is making all out efforts for developing a self-reliant and sustainable waste management system by ramping up the campaign launched as part of 'Malinya Muktham Nava Keralam' project to achieve the goal of garbage-free Kerala by next year," the minister said in a release.

Although the project is yet to achieve all the goals it set, the activities of the first phase have brought in a visible change all through the State within a short span of time, he added.

The infrastructure for collection, sorting and movement of non-organic waste scientifically needs to be stepped up in each local body area and it should be ensured through close monitoring that the agencies entrusted with recycling and disposal carry out their tasks properly.

"Though there has been a massive improvement in waste collection, we are yet to go a long way in fully meeting the challenge of waste segregation. Haritha Karma Sena (HKS) should be given thorough training in this regard," Rajesh said.

During the first phase of the campaign, doorstep waste collection has been increased to 80 percent, whereas the aim is to achieve 100 percent, he said and added that steps should be taken to improve user fee collection.

Activities related to the second phase of the campaign including training programmes, formulation of plans for state and district level programmes, LSG documentation etc. will be held on the second day of the workshop.

Principal Director of the Local Self Government Department (LSGD), M G Rajamanickam, who presided over the function, said each individual has to work towards bringing a change on the issue of waste disposal which should further reflect on the society.

Planning Board Member, Jiju P Alex, KSWMP Project Director, Mohammed Y Safirulla, KSWMP Deputy Project Director, U V Jose, Suchitwa Mission Executive Director, K T Balabhaskaran, Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA) Director General, Joy Elamon, and Clean Kerala Company Managing Director, G K Suresh Kumar, were also present.

District Joint Directors of LSGD, District Coordinators of Nava Keralam, Suchitwa Mission, Program Officers, Clean Kerala Company, Kudumbashree Mission, KILA Facilitators, RGSA Coordinators, RPs of KILA and Social and Communication Experts, KSWMP are the other participants of the two-day workshop.