If scaled up, we will be able to give livelihood to a lot of women.”Ībout three years ago, the government had announced the `280-crore Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project. This is not enough to sustain the project. The plastic waste collected (about 500kg a month) is handed over to Clean Kerala Company Ltd, and they pay a minimal amount per kilo of waste. The official adds that the Suchitwa Sagaram project is not profitable: “We are doing this for environmental protection. We plan to implement the project in a phased manner, and will come up with a rough plan soon.” So it’s not possible to implement it everywhere. Some of the harbours are not big enough for setting up facilities for plastic waste management. “Neendakara is the largest harbour in Kerala. “We have constituted Harbour Management Societies at every harbour for implementing the project,” says another HED official. In addition to this, there are other expenses, including procurements of safety gear and other equipment needed for cleaning the plastic waste brought by the fishermen,” says an official of the Harbour Engineering Department (HED).Īccording to the government’s policy, the project is to be implemented in 21 harbours across the state.

“We need Rs 40,000 for paying salaries for the workers. In Kollam, 23 women workers have been deployed for handling plastic waste at Neendakara harbour. We have requested more funds,” says a senior fisheries official. “We need to pay salaries for the workers. Currently, the Suchitwa Sagaram at Neendakara, too, is facing a fund crunch. However, the government has sanctioned only Rs 50 lakh. Official sources say the fisheries department had requested Rs 5 crore for implementing the project at key harbours in the state. The waste is segregated, shredded and used for road construction. Notably, since the launch of the project, the fishermen venturing into the sea have brought back tonnes of plastic waste to the harbour at Neendakara in Kollam as part of Suchitwa Sagaram. Though a decision was taken to implement the Suchitwa Sagaram project - launched in 2017 in Kollam - across the state, the government hasn’t sanctioned adequate funds for its execution. Besides greenwashing initiatives such as beach clean-up drives, the authorities have failed to come up with sustainable solutions to the growing menace.Īs per estimates, Kerala generates about 450 tonnes of plastic every day, and around 70 per cent of this junk ends up in the sea. Despite policies and major announcements, marine littering and plastic pollution continue to plague Kerala’s 590km coastline.

2012 a time for change