Thiruvananthapuram | Over 2.5 million people will join the massive cleanliness drive across Kerala on Gandhi Jayanti as part of the 'Malinya Muktham Nava Keralam' campaign, covering every nook and cranny of the state including urban and rural stretches, the Local Self-Government Department (LSGD) said on Friday.
The LSGD said at least 200 people from all walks of life from each ward of every local body will join the campaign, covering bus stands, railway stations, parks, tourist centres and markets.
The drive will mark the beginning of the second phase of the intensive cleaning campaign running up to January 30, 2024, the LSGD said in a release.
The state government launched the three-phase ‘Malinya Muktham Nava Keralam' campaign on March 15 this year with clear-cut goals and deadlines.
"The activities to ensure 100 per cent waste management in schools and government institutions will be held from October 2 to 10, while activities aimed at ensuring proper waste management and adherence to green protocol in commercial and private establishments are planned from October 10 to 20," the release said.
It added that prior to this, on October 1, a massive cleanliness campaign will be held across the state as part of the 'Swachhata Hi Seva' campaign, and another as part of Gandhi Jayanti from October 2 to 15.
"Around 23,000 places have already been identified, which is expected to go up to 25,000 localities. The campaign will be carried out in at least two areas in each urban local body ward and in all wards in each village panchayat," the LSGD said.
The department said it will ensure that all poultry farms and chicken cutting centres have inked agreements with chicken rendering plants for proper waste management.
"The removal of garbage piled up in dumping sites and public places, and cleaning of water bodies are also included in the programmes scheduled to be taken up during the month. Taking the campaign forward, from November 1 to 15 activities to ensure proper functioning of community composting facilities will be taken up," the release said.
The activities planned during the period include convening of Haritha Grama Sabhas, assessing the management of bio-degradable waste at its source and collection of non-biodegradable waste, installation of CCTVs in required places, and strengthening the campaign providing rewards to those tipping off authorities about illegal waste dumping.
Children's Haritha Sabha will be held on November 14 -- Children's Day. Selection of children for the Haritha Sabha will be done on October 2, it added.
The campaign is aimed at turning each LSGI totally clean, green and healthy thus making entire LSGIs garbage-free by March 2024.
Besides building a reliable and sustainable waste management infrastructure covering all local bodies, the second phase of the campaign will also see the completion of a few remaining targets from the previous phase.
