Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 1 (IANS) Kerala will set up waste processing plants as part of its year-long campaign to manage garbage generated in the state, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said Saturday.


"In several parts, waste is a wealth for many but for us it has become a serious issue. We just cannot ignore this problem anymore and hence we will launch one of the biggest drives to see that our state is kept spick and span," said Chandy.

"We are inaugurating a one-year-long action plan to see that we effectively manage waste. Tomorrow at Kottayam I am inaugurating the state-level campaign while similar programmes would be held in other 13 districts," added Chandy.

A sum of Rs.62 crore has been initially sanctioned for the campaign which includes setting up big waste processing plants in each of the districts, besides small treatment plants at corporation, municipalities and village council levels.

The campaign would be held at all the 140 assembly constituencies between Oct 3 to 9; between Oct 10 and 16 at the district panchayat level and between Nov 1 to 15 at the village grass roots level, Chandy said.

The government has formed numerous committees for monitoring the campaign.

Kerala is home to 2.76 percent of the country's population and with 859 people per sq. km, the state is three times as densely populated as the rest of the country.

"We as the first step are going to see that we turn the face of the famed beach destination of Kovalam here. Only we are to be blamed for losing tourists to other beaches over the years," Tourism Minister A.P. Anil Kumar said.

"We have finished a blue print for cleaning and sprucing up Kovalam and work would begin next month and in six months, a clean Kovalam would be ready," said Anil Kumar.

Lack of scientific waste disposal management is the cause for regular bouts of fever in the state, Chandy said.

"We are going to come out with a bill which would take stringent action those who dispose waste indiscriminately," said Chandy.

"Every individual here should play their role in doing their bit to make Kerala clean. I will do my bit to create more awareness on this," said Malayalam star Suresh Gopi, who promotes ill effects of improper waste management on TV.

The state government is also coming out with a scheme for providing 75 percent subsidy to all households with their own biogas plants to process kitchen waste.