Fri Nov 15 15:00:52 UTC 2024: ## Ernakulam Municipalities Achieve 72% User Fee Collection for Waste Management
**Kochi, November 15, 2024:** Ernakulam’s municipalities have made significant progress in collecting user fees for the Haritha Karma Sena (HKS), the door-to-door waste collection service. Overall, 72% of households and businesses are paying the fees, a notable increase from 52% in June 2023.
Eloor municipality leads the way with a remarkable 98% collection rate, followed closely by Maradu (84%) and North Paravur (81%). The Kochi Corporation has also achieved a strong 92% coverage for its HKS program.
However, despite the progress, challenges remain. Many households are reluctant to pay the monthly minimum fees of ₹50 in grama panchayats and ₹70 in municipalities. This shortfall poses a threat to the timely payment of salaries to the HKS members.
To address this issue, the government has instructed civic bodies to collect arrears during tax payments and has made user fee payment a requirement for accessing certain benefits like grama sabha allocations and Kudumbashree loans. The goal is to ensure the success of the “Waste-free Kerala” project by streamlining waste management and incentivizing responsible waste disposal practices.
First Piper 