more-in The Wayanad district administration, in association with three-tier local administrative bodies, is gearing up to declare Wayanad a waste-free district. Talking to The Hindu on Tuesday, District Collector A.R. Ajayakumar said a meeting of the presidents of three-tier local administrative bodies had drafted an action plan to declare Wayanad a complete waste-free district from January 1. The action plan envisages holding ward-level waste-free declaration on October 21. Grama panchayat-level and district-level waste-free declarations will be held on November 14 and December 31 respectively, Mr. Ajayakumar said. The meeting constituted a coordination committee to execute the project. The grama panchayat association president was the chairman of the committee, he said. “We are also planning to discourage the use of plastic carry bags in the district as part of the project,” Mr. Ajayakumar said. Awareness drive The district Sanitation Mission will launch an awareness programme in the first week of October to achieve the target. As part of it, the mission will conduct a host of programmes, including flash mob, bike rally, video exhibition and mass run, to sensitize the people to the significance of the project. The local administrative bodies would complete steps to execute green protocol in their jurisdictions by November 1. Waste bins would be installed in public places and commercial establishments as part of the project. Raids Joint raids will be organised against waste dumping. Legal action will be initiated against establishments that discharge sewage to drainages. Mr. Ajayakumar said he had directed all local bodies to set up material collection facilities at the earliest. A meeting of mediapersons and religious leaders, representatives of merchants’ associations and catering associations and senior officials of the Education and Health departments would be convened at the Collectorate mini-conference hall here at 11 a.m. on October 12 for the successful execution of the project, he said.

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