Kerala village’s waste management drive draws national attention

Mangalore Today News Network

Thiruvananthapuram, February 10, 2025: The Erattayar panchayat in Idukki district of Kerala is now drawing national attention for its waste management drive that has been hailed as a successful model in the latest Economic Survey.

Apart from keeping the panchayat clean, the project ensures remunerations of up to Rs 25,000 per month for the 25-odd women volunteers of Haritha Karma Sena engaged in it. The panchayat is also in the process of bringing out bio manure from the waste as part of its Green Erattayar 2K25 drive.

"Cooperation of all households is a key aspect of the success of our mission. Almost all the 4,500 houses in the panchayat as well as the shops and commercial establishments are now cooperating with the mission by paying the user fee, which starts from Rs 50 for each household," said the panchayat president Anand Sunilkumar.

Sunilkumar told DH that representatives of local self government institutions, NGOs and some universities are among those who have already visited the panchayat. After the mention of Erattayar’s initiative in the Economic Survey, enquiries are coming from different states to study the model and replicate it, he said.

The panchayat is segregating the waste into 21 items. It helps in minimising legacy waste and thereby ensuring maximum earnings from segregated waste. Now, the panchayat could supply four tonnes of segregated waste monthly. In order to ensure that the Haritha Karma Sena volunteers earn a decent income, the panchayat has also entrusted them with the task of setting up citizen information boards.

"We have also provided driving training to the women volunteers and provided electric vehicles to them," said Sunilkumar.

Former panchayat president Jisha Shaji said, "Initially, some households were reluctant to pay the user fee of Rs 30. But the panchayat’s constant persuasion made most of them to contribute the user fee. The panchayat is also sponsoring the user fee of some economically weak families in order to ensure participation of all in the initiative."