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| Jayakumar, Thanal, Kovalam, Thiruvananthapuram |
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It is an example of what happens when all the stakeholders pitch in with their earnestness and other resources and the synergy overwhelms the problem. At world-renowned Kovalam, the problem was a daily production of 650 kg of food waste, in addition to about 3800 plastic bottles. Enter Thanal, a voluntary agency under the leadership of Jayakumar, and with the help of the Tourism Department and the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Kovalam, they have been able to successfully launch a ‘Zero Waste Kovalam’ programme that has already started yielding results.
As part of the initiative, Thanal runs a biogas plant to convert food waste generated. While US trained Shibu K.Nair is in charge of the plant, 2 other employees take care of the nitty-gritty of running it. The volunteers are hoping to use the gas that will be formed at the end of 1 month for lighting purposes.
A part of the scheme is to collect plastic and other solid waste, separately and sell them. Last month, this initiative fetched Rs.1100.
Awareness programme on abandoning plastic products did not yield expected results in the absence of alternatives. So the Zero Waste Centre gives training to women in the manufacture of paper bags. Many such trained persons have formed cooperatives, which have been carrying on the work profitably. In order to popularize the product, all the shops were given 50 paper bags free of cost under the initiative.
Training is also provided for making coconut shell based spoon and bowl. Thanal hopes to scale up the zero waste model and achieve total cleanliness in 10 years.
Jayakumar’s entry into the waste zone of Kovalam was by opposing a government move to install incinerator for treating waste. Awareness of carbon-based toxic substances spewed forth by incinerators made Thanal opposed the move. Thus when the government withdrew from the controversial move, the moral responsibility to provide an alternate fell on Thanal’s shoulders.
Courtesy: Sanu George Thomas, Malayala Manorama, April 27, 2004
Contributed by: Administrator
