Kerala: Illegal sanitation thrives

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Illegal sanitation crews are thriving in the state capital making a mockery of the much-hyped decentralised waste management rolled out by the City Corporation. The unauthorised sanitation crews are collecting huge sums from residents for hauling waste from households and these wastes are being dumped around in drains, water bodies and streets causing severe pollution posing threat to public.  

The district administration has decided to invoke Section 133 of the CrPC to prohibit such unauthorised act.  Having failed to regulate these illegal sanitation crews, the health wing had sought the intervention of the district administration to ensure that only authorized individuals or groups are allowed to collect waste from households.

Section 133 strictly prohibits any occupation or business that causes danger to the public. A top official of the health wing under the City Corporation said that unauthorised sanitation crews are dumping waste at Amayizhanchan Canal.

“Even the streets and drains are not spared by these groups. We have been struggling to regulate them since the closure of the Vilappilsala Plant,” said the official. According to authorities, there are around 180 Kudumbashree workers who were doing door to door waste collection.

“Some of them moved on and found other vocations but some of them continued doing this in an organized manner by mobilizing more people for the job. They charge huge amounts from households. We have been trying to bring them under our control to avoid public littering which is posing threat to the public,” said the official.

It is learnt that the local bodies have no control to restrict someone from doing a job. “Hence we sought the intervention of the district administration. Once the order is issued we will have more teeth to prohibit such violations,” said the official.

According to sources, these illegal groups are charging Rs 500 to Rs 1000 from households for waste collection. 

“We have to put an end to this and once the order is issued we will not allow unauthorised individuals to collect waste anywhere in district,” said the official.