KOCHI: Two judges of the Kerala High Court — Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas and Justice Gopinath P— will inspect the Brahmapuram waste management plant on September 11 in connection with the suo motu case registered over its maintenance.
The court said the progress claimed by the authorities would be verified during the site visit. When the case came up for hearing, the court also directed the authorities to file a report on the plant’s present functioning.
Expressing concern over rampant incidents of illegal waste dumping in the city, the court urged local authorities not only to remove waste dumped on roads but also to take strict action against those responsible.
The court said authorities should identify and take action against those dumping waste illegally. Fines should be imposed on offenders, and vehicles used for illegal dumping could be confiscated. The court noted that it was also imposing stringent conditions for the release of such vehicles, subject to confiscation proceedings.
“Unless the authorities initiate these measures effectively, people will continue to dump waste, because that is the mindset of people,” the court observed.
The court also stressed the need for effective awareness campaigns to prevent illegal waste dumping. It directed the authorities to issue instructions to schools, observing that this was the only way to bring about a change in people’s mindset. Otherwise, waste management would become a huge burden on the government and local authorities, it said.