KOCHI: It is a busy evening for Kochi Mayor M Anilkumar, who is caught up with multiple meetings, and discussions to resolve conflicts with contractors. Yet, he makes time for an interaction with TNIE on civic issues plaguing the city. The ‘Kochi Ruins’ series on the corporation’s sloth has been an unsparing one. So, we expect the man in the hot seat to be in a combative mode.
He, however, welcomes us with warmth. Going through copies of City Express arranged on his desk, with a wry smile, the mayor says: “Good, I liked it. The stories and photos laid bare Kochi’s woes.”
Even before throwing questions at him, Anilkumar concedes that “a lot more” needs to be done to make the city a better one. Pointing to the issues highlighted in the ‘Kochi Ruins’ series, he adds: “We have taken up a mission to resolve the issue, one by one. In a democratic setup, implementation of projects takes time. Their benefits would be palpable in the coming years.”
Excerpts from an interview
Waterlogging has been an issue for several years. You became mayor in 2020. What difference has your council made?
I can assure this council has made better efforts to coordinate between the officials and the public regarding every project undertaken, whereas the last council lacked coordination. I am not blaming them, they must have had their reasons.
But the issue has persisted...
I have responded positively to resolve the issue. True, we haven’t resolved it completely. People should understand that the city is prone to flooding whenever its rains continuously for four to five hours.
Kochi is a coastal city, so tides affect the drainage system here. As a mayor, I have assessed the Operation Breakthrough project at each stage. I admit, we couldn’t meet all the deadlines.
The irrigation department is doing its work. And, it’s not my fault that the Kerala Water Authority’s water pipes lie there. Until they remove it, neither the irrigation department nor I can do anything.
Right at the beginning of the work, I had said that it would take at least one year to complete the work. Desilting needs to be a continuous process, and we are focused on it.
One of the challenges was to shift the vendors from the Perandoor canal area, and we have done it. The corporation has deposited a huge amount with the irrigation department to continue the work. Soon a review meeting will be held with the districtcollector to discuss the project.
The MP and MLA, too, will participate.
Has funding been smooth?
In this year’s budget, we have allocated `10 crore for Operation Breakthrough. Several projects under it will be completed. That would offer some relief. Meanwhile, we also have learnt the lesson that desilting should be completed before April, instead of June, as there could be rains any time after March. So we will be prepared next year.
The corporation has been criticised for poor waste management. What’s your take on it?
Waste management is something the public should also actively participate in. The corporation is paying a lot of money to the contractors for waste collection. We also have projects at Brahmapuram.
We, however, still find waste wrapped in plastic covers dumped on the roadsides. Currently, we are planning to construct a 300-tonne-capacity windrow compost plant at Brahmapuram, at a cost of at least Rs 60 crore. There are also plans to improve the waste transportation system by introducing more compact vehicles.
For every project to be successful, we need the active participation of the public as well. It is a collective project, where the corporation will do its work and the public should cooperate with us. One of the reasons we had to remove waste bins from bus stops in the city was regular dumping of household waste without segregating them, making things worse.
Many roads in Kochi offer a nasty experience, especially during or after the rains. The high court, too, had come down heavily on this issue. What’s being done to resolve it?
Not all roads are dilapidated. Abraham Madakkal Road, MG Road, Thammanam-Pullepady Road... they are in good condition. If you compare with last year’s situation, things are much better now. We are repairing potholes. Many councillors are reporting and getting bad roads in their wards fixed.
There, however, will be a few places roads have been dug up for underground pipeline work.
Overall, the roads in Kochi have improved. The Cochin SmartCity Mission work is also progressing. I can guarantee that, by next year, the roads and beautification of Kochi city will be much better.
As a citizen, don’t you think our city lacks public amenities?
Yes. One of the issues highlighted in your ‘Kochi Ruins’ series was the lack of bus shelters. The CSML has plans to build solar-based advanced bus stops in several parts of the city. Initially, a few will be installed in the city areas. After gauging public response, the project will be taken forward.
Also, agencies such as Greater Cochin Development Authority are working on setting up more public toilets.
There are several projects to enhance open spaces in the city, too. We will announce them soon.
The mayor himself brings up the issue of dangling cables, which was highlighted by the TNIE series.
Why is the media not questioning the service-provider who is responsible for the mess? What are we supposed to do? Cut all the dangling wires and cables?
You are the mayor, you have powers...
As the mayor, I have conducted God-knows-how-many meetings with service providers, instructing them to remove the unwanted cables. I am aware they cause inconvenience, and also are an eyesore.
All of us praise the Indore model in Madhya Pradesh. The city developed because the public and councillors (even from the opposition) became more responsible along with the civic body. What about our city? For example, the construction of a windrow compost plant in the Brahmapuram plant has been awaiting council approval for quite some time.
I don’t know what the opposition’s issue is. We all know that the existing plant at Brahmapuram is in a dilapidated condition. A new one is the need of the hour. Yet, it’s on hold.Similarly, several good projects here have been on hold Attitudes need to change -- among the public and the councillors.
How would you rate your tenure out of 10?
I am not the one to rank; let the public do it. But I will give some insights. In 1.5 years of my being the mayor, three months were lost due to the pandemic. We witnessed four elections. In short, I have got about seven months to work properly.
I have done my best on every issue that came to my attention. For example, the implementation of the Street Vending Act. I have sincerely worked on each project. It will take time to see the positive outcomes.