In Kerala, more than 35,000 women with only basic education are currently maintaining the state’s cleanliness while earning an average monthly income of over ₹10,000. Thanks to the Haritha Karma Sena (HKS), a ‘green army’ of women who helped Kerala achieve near-100 per cent waste-free status. Through the right treatment of more than 61,500 tonnes of waste collected from more than 85 lakh households and institutions and its scientific disposal, the HKS made a revenue of ₹350 crore during the last fiscal year, from garbage collection to proper segregation and door-to-door pickup. This includes plastic objects, medication strips, broken glass, old clothing, and worn-out shoes.
At first, women were hesitant to join the HKS since it was thought of as a household rubbish collection service. Today, women are actively participating in its activities after being persuaded of the crucial role they will play in protecting nature. Through the mission's different activities, some women make up to ₹30,000. A majority of HKS members are chosen from among the volunteer organisations involved in the state government's Kudumbashree women's empowerment initiative.
Through the roughly 20,000 material collection and resource recovery facilities, the trash that is collected from homes and institutions is appropriately gathered, separated, and treated. The Clean Kerala Company, another government project, separates the rubbish into about 50 categories and sells it.
Through the programs, more than 1,000 local bodies and around 19,000 local body wards might become zero-waste. Some panchayats' trash management strategies have even drawn national notice. In the most recent economic survey, the Erattayar panchayat model in Idukki district—which also included turning trash into bio-manure—was praised as an effective waste management strategy. The establishment of green areas and the preservation and revitalisation of water bodies are other activities that the HKS members participate in.
A total of 3,648 green spaces of more than 1,150 acres have been established thus far under the HKM's ‘Pachathuruthu’ (green space) program. Over 90 per cent of the 46,000 water bodies in the state have already undergone rejuvenation as part of the water body protection effort.
Image source: Deccan Herals, National News, Google