Chennai, Jan 12 (NationPress) On Monday, Tamil Nadu launched 'Kuppai Thiruvizha 5.0', a comprehensive 12-day campaign focused on waste collection and management aimed at expediting the shift towards a zero-waste landfill approach.

This initiative, collaboratively introduced by the Clean Tamil Nadu Company Limited (CTCL) and the Thooimai Mission, is scheduled from January 12 to January 23 and will involve synchronized efforts across both urban and rural local bodies.

The campaign is structured around four key objectives, placing significant importance on behavioral and cultural changes.

Officials aim to enhance public accountability for source segregation and systematic waste management, encouraging citizens to become proactive participants in the cleanliness movement instead of passive recipients.

A primary emphasis of this initiative is the eradication of Garbage Vulnerable Points (GVPs). Persistent littering sites throughout cities, towns, and villages will be identified, cleaned, and continuously monitored to avert re-dumping. The goal is to transform these locations into socially beneficial public areas, underscoring the notion that maintaining clean surroundings is a shared civic duty.

Resource recovery stands as another fundamental aspect of Kuppai Thiruvizha 5.0.

Specialized collection points for recyclable and reusable materials will be set up to guarantee waste is redirected back into the economy through sanctioned aggregators.

The collaboration of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) within the Mahalir Thooimai Iyakkam will be instrumental, with SHGs working closely with local entities and waste aggregators to formalize collection and recovery methods.

In alignment with the harvest festival season, the state government has incorporated the 'Pugai Illa Bhogi' (smoke-free Bhogi) campaign into this effort. On Bhogi, typically linked to the incineration of old household items, departments including Rural Development and Municipal Administration have been directed to actively discourage waste burning. Instead, discarded materials will be gathered at designated sites and processed through authorized systems to ensure that no waste ends up in landfills.

This initiative necessitates high-level collaboration among various departments, including the Greater Chennai Corporation, Rural Development, and Town Panchayats.

To facilitate effective execution, CTCL has created a specialized digital dashboard for real-time oversight, while district-level nodal officers have been tasked with receiving training. Standard Operating Procedures, waste calendars, tool kits, and a Thooimai pledge have been distributed to all local authorities.

Citizens are encouraged to engage by delivering dry and recyclable waste to collection centers, reinforcing the state’s vision of transforming waste into a valuable community asset.