THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Though the city corporation and the railway authorities have been at loggerheads over the illicit waste dumping issue at the Kochuveli railway station and its premises, the issue has not been resolved yet. Non-biodegradable solid waste continues to end up on the station premises, causing serious threat to public health.
Around three years back, the civic body had sent notice to the railway authorities demanding immediate removal of the accumulated waste. According to corporation officials, the waste inside the station premises is managed by the railway authorities and does not come under the jurisdiction of the civic body. Earlier, there were also allegations that the Railway Protection Force (RPF) had banned the entry of the corporation sanitation workers inside the station for disposing of the accumulated waste.
Residents near the railway station are concerned about the mounting waste. “The accumulated waste causes a foul smell. Though the issue has been raised many times with officials, no viable solution has been reached yet,” said a resident.
“It is not our duty to manage the waste issues inside the station premises. It is solely handled by the railway authorities,” said a health wing official of the city corporation. The railway authorities were unavailable for comment.