Set up material collection facilities without delay, LSGD tells local bodies in Ernakulam

14 local bodies yet to start door-to-door collection of non-biodegradable waste

All the local bodies in the district will have to set up material collection facilities (MCFs) for storage of non-biodegradable waste as early as possible, according to the Local Self Government Department. The local bodies that had not yet set up the facility had cited lack of space or land under its jurisdiction as a problem. The department has asked such panchayats to take buildings or storage facilities on rent. The supervisors holding charge of the performance audit in each local body will have to submit an updated status report on the setting up of MCFs to the Deputy Director of Panchayats, Ernakulam. The erring local bodies should also install weighing machines to record the quantity of non-biodegradable waste. The latest assessment on the management of non-biodegradable waste found that as many as 14 local bodies were yet to start door-to-door collection of such waste. No further time would be allowed as such local bodies had to comply with the directive. Even though majority of the panchayats and municipalities had constituted the Haritha Karma Sena, the collection process has not been streamlined in a few local bodies as the workers were hesitant to visit homes or commercial establishments to collect waste amidst the pandemic crisis.