A mega plastic cleaning drive as part of the Vembanad Lake rejuvenation project is set to begin on January 18.
In the initial phase, the ‘Mega Plastic-free Campaign’ will cover Alappuzha and Cherthala municipalities, along with 10 grama panchayats — Kainakary, Aryad, Muhamma, Thanneermukkom, Panavally, Mannancherry, Arookutty, Perumbalam, Chennam Pallipuram and Thycattussery — situated on the banks of the lake. The drive is part of the ongoing efforts by the Alappuzha district administration to rejuvenate and conserve the lake, a Ramsar site and the second-largest wetland system in India.
Disposal of waste
Officials said that as part of the campaign, plastic would be collected from the lake and land. Guidelines have been issued to ensure the proper disposal of collected waste. The drive will involve active participation from local self-government institutions, fisher community, voluntary organisations, Haritha Keralam Mission, Kudumbashree members, Haritha Karma Sena, ex-servicemen, environmentalists, and students.
A meeting chaired by District Collector Alex Varghese earlier this week decided to conduct awareness programmes for fishers, houseboat employees and owners and people living along the shores of Vembanad Lake on the importance of conserving the waterbody.
Value-added products
In addition to collecting plastic waste, the administration plans to launch a project to make value-added products from water hyacinth and other aquatic weeds. Other activities planned as part of the lake rejuvenation project include establishing a bio-shield, setting up Vembanad Lake Interpretation Centre, a yarn museum, bottle booths, promoting community tourism, and stocking fish seeds.
A 2023 study by the Centre for Aquatic Resource Management and Conservation, Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, revealed a highly degraded, dysfunctional, and debilitated Vembanad wetland system. The report noted that the poor state of the lake is affecting the lives and livelihood of around eight million people in Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, and Ernakulam districts. It noted that the water retention capacity of the waterbody has been reduced by 85.3%. From 2,617.5 million cubic metres in 1990, the capacity reduced to 384.66 million cubic metres in 2020.
Published – January 15, 2025 06:33 pm IST