KOCHI: The attempt of the Kochi Corporation to set up a bio-gas plants for decentralised treatment of biodegradable waste has failed to yield results despite spending Rs 61.61 lakh. This was owing to the lack of proper monitoring and timely remedial action.

The State Government has given the nod for installing garbage processing units based on modern technology in all the districts of the state. Local bodies will have to provide the necessary land and the full expenditure of installation of units will be borne by the State Government.

Briefing mediapersons on the cabinet decisions here on Thursday, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said that the government had succeeded in identifying four effective models for garbage treatment.

The present yard poses a threat to residents of Nagercoil Municipality

It is high time the district administration explored ways to ensure safe and scientific disposal of garbage collected from the Nagercoil municipal limit and other extension areas either in the existing compost yard at Valampurai Vilai, situated in the heart of the town or in some other places.

Reopening the waste treatment plant at Villappilsala at the earliest, entrusting its running to competent agencies, and rescheduling door-to-door waste collection to the evenings. These are some of the proposals in a 10-point agenda chalked out by the State unit of the WWF- India to resolve the issue of solid waste management (SWM) in the city Corporation limits.

Katra: Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, Katra, has found a novel solution to the problem of waste generated by mules. Over 40 tonnes of dung being excreted by mules every day on the 13-km trek stretch en route to the holy cave shrine, causing stink in the area, will now be converted into fuel pellets and replace the liquefied petroleum gas for cooking and heating. The board has come up with the first-ever mule dung-based biogas plant near the town. The plant is currently on trial run and ready to be commissioned.

The traders of Chungathara in the district are leading the way in creating a clean and garbage-free village.

Aiming at total cleanliness, the traders, under the banner of the Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samiti (KVVES), secured the assistance of the Chungathara grama panchayat, the Total Sanitation and Health Mission (TSHM), the Mar Thoma College, and the National Service Scheme (NSS) unit of Mar Thoma Higher Secondary School in its effort to devise a cleanliness project titled ‘clean village, beautiful village.'

The Forest Department would enforce strict monitoring mechanism at Ponmudi Eco-Tourism counter to check the dumping of plastic waste and bottles at the tourism spot. As part of this, the department had introduced the collection of caution deposit at the checkpost to ensure that bottles are not left in the Ponmudi region.

The officials would collect Rs 50 for each bottle that would be carried by a tourist to Ponmudi which would be reimbursed on their return.

The city-based Sustainable Technologies & Environmental Projects (STEPS) plans to set up a plant to convert plastic waste into light diesel, calorific value combustible gas and carbon pellets.

The company has also succeeded in generating diesel from algae, for which it won the Lockheed Martin Innovations Award three times.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) revealed that Asian cities were likely to contribute more than half the rise in greenhouse gas emissions over the next 20 years.

According to The Asian Development Bank data most Asian cities do not have effective wastewater treatment systems - only 10 per cent of wastewater is treated in the Philippines while in Indonesia it is 14 per cent Viet Nam 4and India 9 per cent.

LUCKNOW: Even after five years of its sanctioning by the Centre under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) scheme, the much-awaited municipal solid waste (MSW) treatment plant in Lucknow remains a non-starter. There is no concrete affirmation as when the city will be free of garbage that gets dumped around busy streets and vacant plots. Municipal officials, though, say that the plant is expected to begin functioning by the first week of February.