Vruthi national conclave inaugurated; to showcase Kerala’s achievements in waste management

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan calls for a collective effort in evolving sustainable waste management practices

Calling for a collective effort in evolving sustainable waste management practices, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said that Kerala can become a model for the world in such practices.

He was speaking after inaugurating ‘Vruthi 2025: The Clean Kerala Conclave’, a five-day national conclave to showcase the achievements of Kerala in waste management and plan future projects, organised by the Local Self-Government department here on Wednesday. Two Haritha Karma Sena workers — who had returned a piece of gold they found in a waste dump — handed over the ceremonial lamp to the Chief Minister to inaugurate the event.

“Despite the major strides that we have made in the sector of waste management — especially after the launch of the Malinya Muktham Navakeralam campaign — there are quite a few who view waste treatment plants with a lot of wariness. People’s representatives should take the initiative to address the concerns of people related to waste treatment plants. The Vruthi conclave is also providing a platform for people to raise their concerns,” said Mr. Vijayan.

He said that ever since the campaign began, a total of 1,330 material collection facilities (MCFs) and 19,721 mini material collection facilities have been set up. A total of 192 resource recovery facilitation centre and 17,032 bottle booths were also set up. In the last one year, the Haritha Karma Sena (HKS) workers have collected 61,664 tonnes of waste from across the State. The HKS is currently carrying out doorstep collection of waste from 89 lakh houses.

Minister for Local Self-Governments M.B. Rajesh, who presided over the function, said that the government had to overcome stiff challenges to implement various steps as part of the Malinya Muktham Navakeralam campaign.

“When the fire at the Brahmapuram plant happened, which also became a catalyst for the campaign, Kochi did not have any MCFs or mini MCFs. Now, there are 86 MCFs. We turned adversity into an opportunity through this campaign. The panchayat and municipal acts were amended for this purpose, to make the user fee for waste collection compulsory. From a time when the HKS faced attacks on social media, things have come a long way. The government considers the HKS as its sanitation army. They have ensured record collection of waste this year and the 37,000 HKS members have earned a total revenue of ₹384.9 crore this year,” said Mr. Rajesh.

Revenue Minister K. Rajan inaugurated the exhibition organised as part of the conclave, while Food and Civil Supplies Minister G.R. Anil inaugurated a food festival. Tourism Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas, Forest Minister A.K. Saseendran, Chief Secretary Sarada Muraleedharan, Mayor Arya Rajendran, MLAs and other officials were present.