Violations Related To Waste Management: Enforcement Squad System Will Be Set Up For Checking: A special district-level enforcement squad system will be established to detect violations related to waste management and take action. Local Self-Government Excise Minister MB Rajesh informed us about this. A system with the power to conduct lightning checks and levy spot fines and cancel licenses is being introduced. In the first phase, 23 squads will be appointed across the state. Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Idukki, Wayanad, and Kasaragod districts will have one squad and other districts will have two squads each. Each squad will be headed by an officer of the Local Self-Government Department Performance Audit. Each squad will have three members including an enforcement officer and a police officer from the Sanitation Mission.
The decision to strengthen enforcement is also in the context of the High Court’s recommendations. Minister MB Rajesh said that the action is a crucial step in the fight for a garbage-free Kerala. Everyone should be ready to entrust the systems including Harita Karmasena without throwing waste. The Minister said that along with the enforcement activities, the efforts to educate the people will also continue to be active.
Enforcement squads will take legal action, including spot fines, against those who dump and burn garbage. Strict action will be taken even if waste is deposited on public roads or water bodies. The squad will also conduct inspections and take legal action against those who have exposed toilet waste, waste pipes, etc. to water sources. Monitoring will also be strengthened against the dumping of garbage in public places. The squad will conduct an inspection at the Arav selling points. Commercial/trade/industrial establishments, hotels, establishments, and malls will ensure that waste management systems are functional and action will be taken if they are not.
The squad will ensure that advertisement/propaganda boards, hoardings, boners and shop boards are not erected on prohibited PVC, flux, polyester, nylon cloth, plasticized cloth/paper, etc.
Boards are allowed to be printed on 100 percent recyclable cotton/paper/polyethylene with the ‘PVC Free Recyclable’ logo and the name and number of the printing unit. All other advertising and campaign boards will take action to change. A fine will be levied against the establishment which issued the advertisement and the establishment which printed it and the permit of the board/hoarding will be canceled. It has also been suggested to carry out regular inspections at wholesale and distribution shops and printing centers of banned flux products. The squad will also take action to trace the manufacture, distribution, and use of banned products such as PVC flux, single-use plastic carry bags, etc.
Legal action will be taken against those who collect waste illegally and those who dump it in public places and water bodies. The squads will also take action against waste treatment plants operating without government permission. If the complaints are received, the District Coordinator of the Sanitation Mission will take action by issuing instructions to the local self-government bodies or by directly inspecting the squad. It has also been suggested that appropriate action should be taken and the Local Body Secretary should inform the Nodal Officer of Sanitation Mission.
