Minister for Local Self-Governments M.B. Rajesh inaugurating the Malappuram municipality’s reclaimed land at Puliyettummal near Karathodu by kicking a football on October 11, 2025.
| Photo Credit: SAKEER HUSSAIN
Malappuram municipality has achieved a historic milestone by transforming Puliyettummal’s two-decade-old waste dump into a reclaimed five-acre green space near Karathodu.
Minister for Local Self Governments M.B. Rajesh inaugurated the reclaimed land on Saturday (October 11, 2025). He lauded the municipality for achieving the impossible.
The municipality reclaimed the land by removing nearly 11,000 cubic metre waste dumped in the last two decades by spending ₹11.40 crore under the Kerala Solid Waste Management Project (KSWMP).
The Puliyettummal reclamation project defied the common belief that waste management initiatives lead to irreversible land loss, said Mr. Rajesh. He said that Malappuram municipality’s approach was an example for Kerala and a model for other local bodies as it overcame technical hurdles that often stall projects.
He added that Kerala would become the first State in the country to completely eliminate waste dumps within one and a half years.
P. Ubaidulla, MLA, presided over the function. P.K. Kunhalikutty, MLA, inaugurated the green belt project. E.T. Mohammed Basheer, MP, felicitated the Haritha Karma Sena. District Collector V.R. Vinod, KSWMP director Divya S. Iyer, Malappuram municipal chairman Mujeeb Kaderi, vice-chairman Fousiya Kunhippu, and several councillors spoke.
Published – October 11, 2025 11:43 pm IST