All vehicles passing through Wayanad district may have to pay a green fee if the State government endorses a proposal of the Wayanad district administration to impose a green fee on vehicles coming from outside the district, as well as a green cess at tourist centres.
The fee will be charged as part of the Green Clean Wayanad project of the Local Self-Government department and the Suchitwa Mission to make Wayanad garbage-free, District Collector Renu Raj told The Hindu on Wednesday.
A committee, chaired by the Collector, comprising five members has been constituted to outline the project and submit recommendations to the State government, she said.
Dr. Raj said the proposal was to impose a mandatory fee on vehicles from other districts and States passing through check-posts on district and State borders. “The fee will vary for different types of vehicles such as two-wheelers, cars, and private buses,” she added.
As per the proposal, toll collection will take place at the border check-posts of Lakkidi, Vaduvanchal, Taloor, Muthanga, Bathery-Gudalur Road, Tholpetty, Bavali, Boys Town, Periya, Niravilpuzha, and Nambiyarkunnu.
The Collector said there would be three levels of fee for the Green Clean Wayanad project — Green Gates, Green Cess, and Green Fees.
Both government and private tourist centres are expected to charge a fixed amount as green cess in addition to the ticket price. A fixed green fee for each room in resorts and homestays has also been proposed.
Dr. Raj said the fund collected through green fee would support waste management activities in local areas. Initiatives to address illegal garbage dumping include installation of surveillance cameras, waste centre clean-ups, and designated food places for travellers, she said.
