Kerala's 'Smart Garbage App' Improves Response Time By Automatically Forwarding Complaint To Higher Authorities

Kerala is all set to launch the 'Smart Garbage App' on May 15, announced M V Govindan, the Minister for Local Self Governments and Excise. The app will help streamline garbage management activities in local self-government (LSG). In the initial phase, it will be available under 365 LSGs and later will be expanded across Kerala in the future.

Special Feature Of App

The Smart Garbage App is meant to assist people in lodging complaints concerning waste management. In a unique feature, if the complaint is not addressed in said time, it would automatically get forwarded to higher authorities.

GPS would also be installed in garbage trucks as part of the Smart Garbage Monitoring System.

Phased Manner

Govindan said that the Haritha Keralam Mission planned a mass movement for scientific waste management. Kerala government was equipping local self-governments by enabling infrastructure for the mission's activities. He said the emphasis would be on 'reduce, reuse and recycle.

The first phase includes green protocol implementation by promoting environment-friendly materials and those that can be reused. The minister said to some extent, the government has succeeded in creating awareness among people on these subjects.

He noted, "We are wasting our limited natural resources through ignorance. It is easy to reduce the amount of waste than trying to dispose of huge quantities of waste. This is the way forward for responsible societies," quoted The New Indian Express.

Processing biodegradable waste through composting and non-biodegradable waste through recycling is the most environment-friendly method to dispose of waste. Also, the material recovery facilities of LSGs could help decrease the amount of waste assemblage.

Other Efforts

Minister for LSG and Excise said many local self-governments had embarked on facilities that sell second-hand electronic goods, toys, clothes and furniture. At such places, people were giving over unwanted goods.

At the same time, the Haritha Karma Sena is conducting a source-level collection of waste in 1021 LSGs. The litter-free campaign is expected to eliminate the practice of littering in public areas. He said, for this, CCTV cams would be installed, and the campaign would focus on public places and water bodies. He added that the government would provide electric vehicles to the Haritha Karma Sena for waste collection from houses.

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