KOCHI: In an attempt to marry technology with public hygiene, the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) is gearing up to install AI-powered “smart waste bins” along the Marine Drive walkway in Kochi. The project aims to replace the existing manual bins with high-tech, contactless units designed to curb littering and improve cleanliness in the city’s most-visited waterfront stretch.
The proposed 100-litre bins will feature sensor-operated flaps, ultrasonic presence detectors, and constant fill-level monitoring to prevent overflow and speed up waste collection. They will also double up as urban amenities with remote-controlled advertising displays, mobile charging ports, and even CCTV cameras for security. Each bin, measuring 120 by 150cm, will feed live surveillance footage to enhance safety in an area where petty crime is common after dark. “This will be an upgrade to the current system and will make waste management more efficient,” a GCDA official said.
But Marine Drive’s waste problem is less about the number of bins and more about how people use them — or don’t. Despite manual bins every 50 metres, installed by GCDA in association with the Suchitwa Mission and the Cochin Smart Mission, litter still finds its way to the walkway and, more worryingly, into the Vembanad lake.
Earlier this year, Minister for Local Self-Government M B Rajesh saw for himself just how messy things were after a stroll along the promenade. “I could see at least 200 waste bins within two kilometres — one every metre. Yet there was more waste on the walkway than inside the bins,” the minister remarked, calling it a “pathetic state of affairs.”
His observation was a blunt reminder that technology alone cannot solve a problem rooted in public behaviour, inadequate enforcement, and a lack of consistent maintenance.
A High Court-directed committee was formed three months ago to monitor the upkeep of the Marine Drive walkway, signalling how persistent the problem has been. Overflowing bins, poor waste segregation, and spillage have been routine issues. Critics also note that without regular cleaning schedules and strong awareness campaigns, even the most advanced bins could become just expensive dustbins with gadgets.