Disaster Waste Management Protocol notified by Kerala govt.

The Local Self-Governments department has notified Disaster Waste Management Protocol for the management of waste generated during natural and man-made disasters. Minister for Local Self-Governments M.B. Rajesh will officially release the protocol on Tuesday. The State government prepared the protocol in light of the experiences after the landslides at Chooralmala and Mundakkai villages in Wayanad district in 2024.

Initially, the local body faced significant challenges in managing waste, due to the absence of pre-framed disaster management action plans. The absence of a protocol led to initial chaos, as the system was unprepared to handle the situation of such gravity. Current policies focus on handling waste during ‘peacetime’ and are not specifically designed for managing disaster waste.

The protocol prepared by the Suchitwa Mission clarifies the roles and responsibilities of each stakeholder department and to coordinate the various mechanisms for efficient waste handling, promote safe recycling and disposal, encourage efficient resource use, ensure the safety of volunteers and standardise the waste management practices during disasters.

Preparedness

According to the protocol, pre-disaster preparedness is essential for minimising the challenges in disaster waste management and ensuring an effective response. This involves proactive measures such as district-level mapping of the existing waste management facilities of the local bodies. The local bodies are required to prepare a comprehensive capacity building plan including content, target audience, resource persons, financial resources and timeline.

The post-disaster waste management involves a phased approach starting with the Emergency Phase (0–72 hours) characterised by immediate actions to manage waste often in challenging conditions. This is followed by the Streamlined Phase/Recovery Phase (after 72 hours), where systematic processes such as waste segregation and the engagement of specialised personnel and private/empanelled agencies come into action. Drones, geographic information systems (GIS) and manual surveys will be used to estimate the volume and type of waste generated for effective planning on site.

Priority shall be given for the removal of waste from critical areas for enabling smooth rescue operation. Biodegradable, medical and animal carcasses will be removed immediately after generation from the site for avoiding cross contamination. Every activity will be undertaken by giving due consideration to potential environmental impacts, with particular attention to preventing the contamination of water sources and soil.