Ernakulam lagging behind in waste management projects
Local bodies in Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam have initiated more refuse management projects based on biomethanation and composting methods when compared to the district
Local bodies in Ernakulam have undertaken 22 projects for waste treatment using biomethanation and composting technologies at a total cost of around ₹6 crore in the 2023-24 scal.
They include eight projects using biomethanation technology at a cost of ₹2.4 crore. Fourteen projects worth ₹3.8 crore were proposed under the composting method, according to the Department of Local Self-Government as on February 2024.
Thirty-six material collection facilities at a cost of ₹5.5 crore were also proposed in the corresponding period.
However, the district lagged behind local bodies in Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam in terms of the number of projects undertaken based on biomethanation and composting methods. Thiruvananthapuram had initiated 76 projects using biomethanation technology at a cost of ₹4.5 crore and 245 projects based on composting technology at a cost of ₹2.6 crore.
Civic bodies in Kollam had undertaken 12 projects using biomethanation technology at a cost of ₹2.8 crore and 52 projects under composting method at a cost of ₹7.6 crore.
Local bodies in Ernakulam had undertaken 36 projects for setting up material collection facilities/ resource recovery facilities/material recovery facility and mini material collection facility at a total cost of ₹5.5 crore. Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam districts were ahead in this category too, with local bodies in Thiruvananthapuram undertaking 205 such projects at a total cost of ₹25.6 crore. Civic bodies in Kollam had undertaken 156 projects at a total cost of ₹12.7 crore.
As many as 128 biomethanation projects have been proposed by local bodies Statewide, while the corresponding number of composting projects is 415. As many as 660 material collection facilities/material recovery facilities and 41 sanitary waste treatment plants were proposed by various civic bodies as on March, 2024. Projects worth ₹99.4 crore have been taken up in local bodies for wet waste management and ₹95.4 crore for dry waste management.