THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Aiming to reduce the amount of waste generated in the city and the gradual containment of garbage movement to the Vilappilsala waste plant, the Thiruvananthapuram City Corporation has announced that source-level waste management will be made mandatory as per an amendment in the Municipal Act, which will be implemented from February onwards. Speaking to the media after an all-party meeting to discuss the Vilappilsala plant issue, Mayor K Chandrika said that the Corporation has decided to take stringent action against the indiscriminate use of plastic materials in the city. According to her, the plastic carry bags, which till now cost very less, will be made expensive according to their thickness. Bags of thickness between 40 and 50 microns will now cost ` 5 for the wholesale dealer and ` 8 for the retailers. Bags of thickness 50-60 microns will cost ` 6 for the wholesale dealer and ` 9 for the retail trader. For those with thickness 60-70 microns,it will be ` 7 and ` 10 respectively. A revised amount will be charged on the shop owners and this would be added to the waste-disposal fund of the corporation. In addition to this, Chandrika also made a contentious announcement, that the Corporation will not be responsible for collecting waste from commercial establishments like auditoriums and hotels which can seat more than 20 at a time. “They will have to find a way to dispose the waste of their own. The shop licence of those who fail to implement their method of waste disposal would not be renewed after February 28. The Corporation Council will meet soon and give a final touch to the statute,” she said. The Mayor said that all the steps were intended to bring solace to the suffering ‘’brethren’’ of Vilappilsala.”The ongoing struggle is not a bout between the Corporation and the Vilappilsala panchayat. The responsibility of resolving the issue lies with everyone concerned. The leachate treatment plant would become functional within three months,” she said. The Mayor and a team from the Corporation will visit Chief Minister and Minister P K Kunhalikutty on Monday to resolve the deadlock over movement of waste to Vilappilsala. The Vilappilsala Janakeeya Samithi has made it clear that it would block the waste-laden vehicles from entering Vilappil panchayat from Wednesday.
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