Thiruvananthapuram 27-09-2011: A massive one year programme to make Kerala a garbage free state will be launched on 2 October this year, said CM. He was briefing the media after the cabinet meeting.

This one year- long campaign will create awareness in people regarding environmental cleanliness. CM said that steps will be initiated to make all the water bodies free from pollution. Government also plans bring in laws regarding the disposal of waste, said CM

Apart from cleaning all water bodies and preventing them from getting polluted an effective waste management system must be evolved to stop the spread of diseases.  Centres help is also needed to implement various projects in this regard.

Government has approved the draft that the Urban Affairs Ministry has given to the state regarding waste management.  The points included were

1. Technology upgradation in Solid Waste Management.
2. Uppgradation of existing plan in small and medium municipalities.
3. New provision for Solid Waste Management in newly formed municipalities.
4. Starting of Solid Waste Management units in Gramma Panchayaths. 75% grand will be provided for this subject to a maximum of Rs 35 lakhs.
5. Provision for e- toilets in public places.
6. In 4 districts (Trivandrum, Kollam, Ernakulam, Kozhikode) septage treatment plants will be incorporated along with sewerage treatment plans. In the rest 10 districts stand-alone septage treatment plants will be built.
7. Engineering staffs for waste management in 5 muncipal corporations and 30 major municipalities.  Posts of Assistant Engineers will be created in this regard.
8. Enhancing subsidy for Decentralised Solid Waste Management. The subsidy to households have been increased to 75% from 50%.
9. Steps to strengthen Suchitwa Mission. Sanction has been accorded to open 14 district offices. A total of 28 posts will be created. Rs 64.25 crores has been sanctioned to implement these.

CM said that Rs 5 lakh each will be given to the family of those children who died in today’s mishap. All the treatment expenses for those children  in hospitals will be taken up by Government.