KOCHI: The ‘garbage menace’ in Kochi is a farce, made-up issue which can be solved if there is a will. The existing technologies related to waste management are so efficient that no garbage needs to go out of the house.Earlier, biogas plants were huge and using them was a complicated process. But the new models available are so compact and efficient that they can be kept inside the house without producing any smell.They are designed to produce high-pressure gas, which can be used by directly connecting them to the stove. Another method is to use the gas produced in the septic tanks instead of LPG. Installing these mechanisms will not cost much and will be a big help in the long run. This will also reduce waste accumulation and fuel use. The byproduct of these methods is manure which can be used in gardens.Green Kochi should be a multi-fold, multi-directional approach that does not concentrate only on a green cover for the city, but also on other aspects of the issue as well. The water hyacinth growing on water bodies, which is considered a headache, is actually an excellent producer of methane. If the methane gas from all the water hyacinths in the city was to be used properly, the households in the entire West Kochi area can go without buying a single LPG cylinder for six months.As for the plastic waste, it can be collected by the corporation and converted into granules which can be used for paving roads, which will result in world-class roads in the entire city.Another fuel-saving method is to use solar heating for all the heating processes in a house. In reality, heating requirements like ironing, cooking, and water heating use more power than lighting in a house. Hence, using solar heating technology helps save energy as well as money. Water shortage is one of the major issues in Kochi today. This problem can be solved to a great extent by efficient rain water harvesting. If that is done, corporation water needs to be used for only three or four months in a year. Old fashioned, single-flush tanks are a major reason for wastage of water. If they are replaced by efficient dual-flush tanks, the use of water can be decreased up to 30 per cent.For all this to happen, the basics have to be laid by the corporation. For example, if the corporation bans old fashioned bulbs in the city and makes LED lights compulsory, the energy efficiency of Kochi will increase manifold. Another important measure that should be taken is to give tax reduction to ‘green’ houses which employ environment-friendly ways like the ones suggested. This will be a great crowd-pulling factor to ensure that more people participate in the effort.
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