KOCHI: As the Kochi Corporation has taken steps to become waste-free by August this year, the opposition alleged that out of the more than one lakh shops registered in the assessment register of the corporation, only 25,000 have been licensed, and of these, less than 500 establishments are handing over waste to authorised agencies.
“According to corporation records, over one lakh commercial establishments have obtained occupancy certificates to conduct business. These buildings pay a higher building tax than residences. But only less than 25,000 of these have been issued licences this year. Of these, Rebuild Kerala, the authorised agency to collect bulk waste through the MyKochi app, collects waste from less than 500 establishments,” said Antony Kureethara, the leader of opposition.
He added that only a small portion of the waste generated in the city is being collected and that waste is being disposed of through illegal means.
“The corporation should take the initiative to provide a cost-effective waste disposal method for shops and establishments. In March, Rs 2.16 crore was spent on waste management. However, the corporation received only Rs 64 lakh out of more than Rs one crore it was supposed to receive from shops for collecting bulk waste,” said M G Aristottil, the UDF parliamentary party secretary. He extended full support of the UDF councillors to make the city waste-free through proper planning and action plans.