THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, Kerala: A team of experts from the World Bank visited several urban local bodies (ULBs) in the state and evaluated the protocols that are being observed in the waste management facilities under the Kerala Solid Waste Management Project (KSWMP) supported by the World Bank and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).
World Bank team consist of Josefo Tuyor, Asia Regional Safeguards Coordinator, World Bank; Deepa Balakrishnan, Senior Environmental Specialist; Natasa Vetma, Senior Specialist; and Neha Vyas, Regional Safeguards Coordinator, India. The team visited several facilities and observed their environmental protocols. Later, the team held discussions with the elected representatives and local body officials and offered several suggestions to ensure the efficiency of the projects.
The team visited waste management and processing in the following locations— Chalakudy, Thrissur corporation, Paravattani and Kovilakathupadam in Thrissur; Ambalamedu, Kalamassery, Thrikkakkara Elur and Thumburmuzhi in Ernakulam; Kozhikode corporation and Vatakara in Kozhikode; Valanchery in Malappuram; and Attingal in T’puram. The cotton bag wending centre at Mattannur in Kannur district was also among the list of sites visited by the World Bank team, where they had an extensive discussion with Divya S Iyer, Project Director, KSWMP, S Subodh, deputy project director, KSWMP, and other officials from the state project management unit. The team discussed the improvement in the environmental safeguards in waste management and processing facilities to ensure that they do not cause any harm to the ecosystem in and around their location.