Plastic waste equivalent to 50 million plastic bottles removed from Thiruvananthapuram’s water bodies.
Thiruvananthapuram: Company officials stated that the Allianz Group’s project to protect the rivers and canals of Thiruvananthapuram from plastic pollution continues to be a major success. As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, the company claimed to have removed more than 1,000 tons of plastic waste from the city’s water bodies over the past four years. The project was designed and implemented jointly by Allianz Services India and Allianz Technology India, the Global Capability Centers (GCC) of Allianz Group in India. At an event held in Thiruvananthapuram, the company announced that it has spent over ₹5 crores from its CSR fund since the launch of the project in 2022.
Barbara Karuth-Zelle, Member of the Board of Management and Group COO of Allianz SE, stated that reaching the 1,000-ton milestone is an incredibly proud achievement. Every piece of plastic removed from the rivers is a step toward protecting the ocean. She emphasized that this project is not just a cleanup drive, but also part of an effort to bring positive changes to people’s lives and create more local employment opportunities. She added that more collective action is needed to protect nature for future generations.
The project utilizes simple floating barriers called ‘TrashBooms’ to intercept plastic waste in rivers and canals before it flows into the sea. Waste is being removed daily through this system at 15 major locations in the city, including Thampanoor Canal, Ulloor Canal, Pattom Canal, Thekkinakkara Canal, Amayizhanjan Canal, Karamana River, Killi River, Karayil Canal, and Thettiyar Canal. Allianz is carrying out this project in partnership with non-profit organizations like Thanal Trust and Sustera Foundation, using technology developed by the German company ‘Plastic Fischer’.
These activities are being conducted with the full support of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation and the Local Self-Government and Water Resources departments of the Government of Kerala. In addition to removing waste from water bodies, Allianz has also launched awareness campaigns to change the habit of littering plastics. As part of this, special programs have been conducted since 2025 for local residents, traders, and visitors in places like Puthenthope, Kadinamkulam, and Veli. Beach cleanups and awareness campaigns are being conducted by Allianz employees alongside NGOs.
Allianz is one of the leading companies operating in Thiruvananthapuram Technopark since its early days. As one of the first GCC centers in Kerala, it currently employs over 6,600 people. Thiruvananthapuram holds the largest employee base among Allianz offices worldwide. Allianz Services is the AI-driven value accelerator of the Allianz Group, one of the world’s leading insurance and asset management companies. Allianz Technology India is a key hub driving the global IT and digital transformation strategies of the Allianz Group, and a major service delivery center for Allianz Technology.
The event was attended by Minister for Industries and IT P.K. Kunhalikutty, Minister for Water Resources Adv. Mons Joseph, Minister for Local Self-Government K.M. Shaji, Thiruvananthapuram Mayor Adv. V.V. Rajesh, Kazhakkoottam MLA V. Muraleedharan, Allianz Services India MD Jison John, and Allianz Technology India Branch Head Jayanth Tulsiani.
