Green expert wants land fill tax in Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram: Sunita Narain, director-general, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has asked Finance Minister T. M. Thomas Isaac to introduce a land fill tax on the lines of the unique 'fat tax'  of his last budget. She made the request  to Mr. Isaac who released a book  on solid waste management, 'Not In My Backyard (NIMBY)' written  by Sunita Narain and Swati Singh Sambyal,  here on Thursday.  It was  inspired by the many initiatives  in Alappuzha which has been adjudged as one of  the three cleanest cities in the contry along with  Panaji and Mysuru   as per a survey conducted for the book. Alappuzha with a  population of 0.174 million  produces 58 tonnes of solid waste a day.  Narain opined that  everyone who uses land should pay land fill tax.

“The government has every right to impose a land fill tax like fat tax,”  said  Narain.  Mr Isaac  who has  found a solution to solid waste management in his constituency in Alappuzha said he will consider her recommendation.  The CHCC  focus has been segregation and treatment of wet waste at the source. The programme which was launched in 2012 in Alappuzha saw portable or fixed biogas plants and pipe composting as well as technological solutions.  Narain told DC that the Alappuzha model can be adopted  in every part of the country. “Alappuzha model is  powerful  showing what you can actually do yourself  and how to deal with your plastics and other waste by recycling,”  she said.