The Thiruvananthapuram district administration along with the Haritha Keralam Mission and the Suchitwa Mission are taking steps to ensure that the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections will be a clean and green affair.
District Collector, K Vasuki, in a statement recently had said that the ‘Green Protocol’ should be followed in all levels of work during the Lok Sabha elections. Green protocol, according to the Kerala Suchitwa Mission, is essentially a set of practices which when implemented results in significant reduction of waste. The primary focus is the prevention of use of disposables and using reusable alternatives like glass/stainless/porcelain cutlery.
Vasuki has requested political parties as well as the citizens to ensure that the green protocol is followed during the elections.
The district administration has made it clear that banners and hoardings made of plastic material should be avoided. Instead it can be replaced by banners and hoardings made using cotton cloth.
According to a report by Manoramaonline, Teeka Ram Meena, the Chief Election Officer, had said, “I have asked the district officers (Collectors) to remove the already fixed flex boards. Non-biodegradable materials are completely banned. Political parties must cooperate. This time we will follow the green protocol strictly.”
In a statement by the administration on Monday, it was also stated that candidates should try and avoid the use of plastic drinking water bottles during their campaigning and that they must try as much as possible to use only eco-friendly items such as cloth and paper materials to decorate their campaign vehicles.
The candidates and party workers have also been requested to rent out steel plates and glasses for meals while campaigning.
The Haritha Keralam Mission and the Suchitwa Mission have been given the responsibility to ensure that the ‘Green Protocol’ is followed from the district level to the local bodies during the elections.