THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A fresh political slugfest has erupted between BJP and LDF councillors over alleged illegal waste collection and dumping, even as the capital city continues to grapple with an escalating waste crisis six months after the former took over the reins of the corporation.
On Tuesday, mayor V V Rajesh accused the CPM of operating illegal waste collection networks through its workers and deliberately dumping garbage in waterbodies and public places to tarnish the administration.
The LDF hit back, alleging that a BJP councillor had earlier collected money from residents and illegally transported waste to Tamil Nadu for dumping.
Amid the exchange of allegations, residents’ associations have urged both political fronts to move beyond blame games and focus on improving waste management, saying the city’s sanitation crisis continues to affect ordinary people.
M Sashidharan Nair, general secretary of the Confederation of Residents Associations (CONFRA), said the political allegations were secondary to the everyday challenges faced by residents. He said that the capital is in the grip of contagious diseases because of poor sanitation.
“The ultimate victims are ordinary citizens. Improper waste disposal creates conditions for the spread of disease, and it is the public that suffers. The Haritha Karma Sena is collecting waste from households, but the real concern is what happens to the waste after collection. We still see garbage dumped along highways, in vacant plots and other public spaces.
Waste may be removed from our homes, but the environment around us is not being protected. The city needs centralised or decentralised waste treatment facilities. Politics should not stand in the way of these solutions,” he said.
The LDF strongly rejected the mayor’s allegations and accused the BJP-led corporation of attempting to divert attention from its own administrative failures.
“Instead of providing clear answers to the public, the media and the opposition over the collapse of the sanitation system and the spread of communicable diseases, the mayor is making contradictory statements to cover up the administration’s failures,” said S P Deepak, LDF parliamentary party leader.