KOCHI: With the city experiencing summer showers and the onset of monsoon on the horizon, the garbage that has accumulated in the streets of Kochi, particularly in areas such as Marine Drive, Queen’s Walkway, KSRTC bus stand, Gandhi Nagar, Panampilly Nagar, etc, is set to create more problems for the public and authorities.
The corporation has failed to remove the non-biodegradable waste that has piled up in various parts of the city over the past two months following the fire outbreak at the Brahmapuram dump yard.
The tourism sector will be negatively affected if the waste is not removed immediately, said Ranjith Thampi, a social activist.
“Thousands of people, including foreigners, visit places such as Marine Drive and Queen’s Walkway every day. The heaps of garbage will give them a wrong impression about our culture,” he said.
“With the opening of the Water Metro service, tourist spots have seen a dramatic rise in visitor numbers,” he said. Moreover, as Kerala has been receiving summer showers, the waste in the streets can cause the spread of many diseases. Ranjith said with the onset of monsoon the problem will become critical.
“The waste decomposing in the rain can cause the spread of many communicable diseases and epidemics. The wastewater will contaminate our canals as well,” he said. Ranjith said that though the corporation has been notified many times about the issue, no action has been forthcoming. “To address the issue, the city needs to come up with an immediate short-term waste management plan,” he added.