KOCHI: Dumping of garbage at Chambakkara along the side of the busy Vyttila – Petta Road has become a major problem posing serious health hazards. Though City Corporation authorities recently instructed that garbage should not be dumped in the area and conducted night patrolling to catch the offenders, waste dumping still continues. The spot near St. George’s High School is filthy with huge piles of plastic waste bags with un-segregated garbage.
With rains starting, school students and those going to the Chambakkara market and the nearby church have to tread through the filthy water and rotten garbage. “School students suffer as they have to pass through the area every day and are highly vulnerable to monsoon diseases. Though the Corporation authorities have erected a board banning waste dumping in the area, still people throw waste during the night time,” said the principal of the school.
Meanwhile, division councillor V.P Chandran said that garbage from other municipal areas like Maradu and Tripunithura was being widely dumped at Chambakkara. “Waste dumping was totally stopped when people’s representatives with the support of residents’ associations and parents of the school students conducted night patrolling for more than a fortnight. Many offenders were caught and fined. But, the issue still remains as daily night patrolling is not a permanent solution. Plans are afoot to find a permanent solution for the problem,” he said.
Council meet fails to take final call on waste removal
Transportation of garbage from city areas is likely to get worse as the City Corporation has failed to take a final decision on the waste removal contract, even after three days of marathon discussions. With monsoon intensifying, a further slowdown in garbage removal will pose serious health hazards and may result in the outbreak of infectious diseases. Though a special session of the council discussed the proposal to cancel the new norms and contracts signed for waste removal, a final decision was not taken as members raised apprehensions over health hazards. The council meeting has decided to serve a notice to the contractor to appear for a hearing and if lapses are found on his part, the contract will be terminated.
“Alternative arrangements will be made for waste removal, if the contract is cancelled,” said Mayor Soumini Jain. Though the civic body signed two different agreements last month for removing organic and plastic waste, the contractors failed to provide enough number of vehicles. It was found that segregation of waste and the new rates fixed per quantity of waste were not feasible. Members from both the ruling bench and opposition raised serious apprehensions over the infeasibility of the contract and slow down in clearing garbage. However, the members did not support the immediate cancellation of the contract saying that the rainy season and water logging which might worsen the situation. Meanwhile, opposition leader K.J Antony demanded a detailed probe on the contracts and funds used for waste removal in the last 10 years.
