Kerala to be free of waste heaps within a year, says Minister M.B. Rajesh

Local Self-Government Minister M.B. Rajesh has said that Kerala will become the only State in India without waste heaps within a year. He was inaugurating a renovated waste treatment plant at Adat grama panchayat under the Malinyamuktha Navakeralam (Waste-Free New Kerala) campaign on Saturday.

Presiding over the event, MLA Xavier Chittilappilly noted that the initiative marked a major step in the State’s scientific waste management efforts.

The Minister said Kerala has seen a rise in the number of material collection facilities (MCFs) in the past two years, with 1,020 of the State’s 1,034 local bodies now running their own units. “If the Haritha Karma Sena volunteers were not present, Kerala would have become unfit to live in,” he remarked, crediting them for collecting 1.52 lakh tonnes of waste in 2024–25.

‘Support of govt.’

Despite facing criticism and campaigns against them, the Haritha Karma Sena had the full support of the government, Mr. Rajesh said. He also highlighted the increased Onam incentives for the volunteers, and detailed the step-by-step functioning of the plant.

The Minister announced that 25 major waste dump yards in Kerala have already been cleared and efforts are under way to remove 20 more. Within three months, six plants will be operational to convert solid waste into fuel, and within six months, four new plants will give Kerala the capacity to scientifically treat all sanitary waste.

Role of fines

He stressed the role of fines imposed on littering and urged the public to actively cooperate. The Adat plant has been developed in four phases with a total allocation of ₹94 lakh, combining Central, State, and local funds. The facility will collect household waste through the Haritha Karma Sena, compost biodegradable waste, and send plastics and recyclables to specialised units.

“This project will reduce environmental pollution, make our land cleaner, and safeguard public health through scientific waste treatment,” the Minister said.

At the function, uniforms were distributed to the Haritha Karma Sena members.