Tourism department to make Kovalam a garbage-free destination

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A project, planned as part of tourism department's 'Kerala waste free destination' campaign, to make Kovalam a garbage free tourism destination, is awaiting government clearance. Kerala Tourism and Suchitwa Mission have joined hands to provide biogas plants and different composting technologies to all houses in the area at 25% subsidy. 

"We want to make the bio-gas apparatus affordable to the public. The subsidy is likely to be offered by the tourism department, corporation and the Suchitwa Mission. Smaller houses will be provided with pipe-composting," said Suchitwa Mission executive director George Chakacherry.

The departments have developed a package for Kovalam which will incorporate various methods of waste management including vermi, ring and pipe composting. The biggest worry of the mission is to get the hotels to implement the project. "No decision has been taken regarding allocation of subsidy to hotels as they have been mandated to set up waste treatment plants by way of Kerala Municipality (Second Amendment) Ordinance, 2011. The best we can do is to check that the hotels adhere to the law," he said.

A plastic shredder will also be installed on the beach very soon. "There is already a plastic collection scheme in place but it can be strengthened only by deploying more Kudumbasree workers in the area," said tourism secretary Suman Billa.

However, promise of making the destination plastic free, still hangs in limbo. "The ban which came into effect in November last year has made no difference. Tourism minister Anil Kumar and the DTPC have held meetings about making Eve's beach plastic free but nothing has happened so far. The government has to enforce the ban strongly ensuring that an alternative such as water filters, bags made of cloth and jute etc. are available," said Jameela Prakasham, Kovalam MLA.

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-07-23/thiruvananthapuram/32803060_1_tourism-department-kerala-tourism-waste-treatment-plants

'Bekal project termed a flop' - The Hindu

 

The Bekal Special Tourism Area could not achieve its aims after being in implementation for 20 years, the report of a fact-finding mission taken up by various non-governmental organisations (NGOs) has said. The initiative was spearheaded by the Wayanad-based Kabani and the Alappuzha-based Gandhi Smaraka Grama Seva Kendra.

The report, released here recently, pointed out that the intervention of Bekal Resorts Development Corporation Ltd. (BRDC) to develop Bekal as a special tourism area, declared so by the Centre in 1992, had failed in bringing forth any developmental advantage to the region. The situation instead was that ‘those who were responsible to work for the people had displaced hundreds from their homes in the name of development,’ the report said.

The report also pointed out that the mission team came across people who were forced to live in under-developed areas forced upon them by agencies like BRDC, giving up their land, their hereditary possessions, culture, and even traditional occupations. They were also being forced to be at the receiving end of the harmful effects of garbage thrown out by private resorts. This was when most of the promises that were doled out to them, including jobs, still remained on paper.

On the other hand, the so-called development had seen silence on part of the government towards the blatant violation of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) laws and Panchayati Raj laws and umpteen other violations of environmental norms. 

The project had entailed 14 resorts, but there were only six now. The 3,000 resort units that were intended in the project plan had been curtailed to 500 units. To be submitted to the government, the report demanded that the anti-people interventions by the BRDC and the resorts be stopped immediately.

The mission team comprised P.A. Pouran and Mohanan of the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL); Geo Jose of the National Alliance for People’s Movements (NAPM); K.G. Jagadeeshan of the Gandhi Smaraka Grama Seva Kendra; former Joint Director of Fisheries Raveendran Nair; former Additional Director of Fisheries Sanjeev Ghosh; Maglene Peter of the Theeradesha Mahila Vedi; Sumesh Mangalasseri of Kabani; Robin of Keraleeyam; Sudheer of the Kasaragod Environment Council; K.P. Sashi (Visual Search); and researcher Rekha Raj.

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/article3660528.ece

Waste management at tourism centres

Minister for Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes and Tourism A.P. Anil Kumar told the Assembly on Thursday that the Tourism Department would take steps to keep tourism centres clean.

Replying to the debate on the demands for grants for the welfare of the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other Backward Classes and Tourism, the Minister said decentralised waste management would be introduced at tourism centres such as Kovalam and Kumarakom.

Mr. Anil Kumar said seaplane services would soon be introduced in the State. The Kerala Tourism Development Corporation would operate a tourist coach attached to Island Express. Elevizhapoonchira in Kollam would be developed as an international tourism destination. “Take a break” rest houses would be set up at Santhigiri, near Thiruvananthapuram.

The Minister said funding would not be a problem for the medical college to be set up by his department. It would make higher number of seats available to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes compared to what is available in other self-financing colleges.

A sum of Rs.20,000 would be provided to the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students for coaching for entrance examinations.

He noted that the government had already raised the stipend for the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students to Rs.750. This would be increased to Rs.1,000 for high school students from next year. Education loans for them had been enhanced to Rs.3 lakh.

The Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe women would be given Rs.1,000 a month during pregnancy and after child birth for six months. 

http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/kerala/article3607065.ece