Kerala to utilise services of NSS units in their region to restore garbage dumping sites and vulnerable points

Local government organisations in Kerala will enlist the help of National Service Scheme (NSS) units in their area to repair rubbish dumps and other vulnerable areas so they may be transformed into mini-parks with vertical gardens, installations, and other amenities known as "Snehaaramam." The Malinya Muktham Nava Keralam initiative has identified around 3,000 rubbish disposal sites and vulnerable places throughout Kerala.

Local authorities have also been urged to locate any leftover dumpsites and turn them over to the NSS units for beautification work after they have been cleaned up. The NSS units engaged in the project will get 5,000 apiece from the Suchitwa Mission. Any costs over this will be covered by the appropriate local body's own money or by local sponsorships.

In recent times, several NGOs and youth organisations have started engaging in "spot fixing" in important Indian cities. They pick certain locations in the city that have been left unattended or that have become trash dumps as part of these projects, and they carry out cleanup tasks as well as beautification with wall art, graffiti, and plants. The initiative from the Local Self-Government department uses a similar framework but is more widely distributed among urban and rural locations.

On October 2, Gandhi Jayanti, the programme will begin and is anticipated to be finished by January 1 of the following year. In collaboration with the NSS units, the assistant secretary of the local body is required to oversee routine upkeep of the beautified areas. It is also suggested that the NSS volunteers be employed to do research on the operation of garbage collection sites and neighbourhood composting facilities and then submit a report to the local authorities. This week, representatives from civic organisations, NSS programme officers, unit secretaries, and representatives of Malinya Muktham Nava Keralam will gather to discuss the specifics of their initiatives.