KOCHI: Many areas in Kalamassery, including near Cusat and the Naval Armament Depot (NAD), have become dumping grounds despite a regular collection of food and plastic waste from households. The improper waste management has raised a fear of diseases among the local residents.
For several months, the waste dumped along the NAD Road has not been cleared, encouraging the public to throw even more waste at those points, according to local residents. The municipal authorities have not taken any action, though the officials concerned were informed of the nconveniences caused by the mismanagement of waste, they pointed out.
Shabeer Ahamed, who lives in the area, said the local body is not acting against violators.
“The waste has been dumped there for several months now. I wrote to Minister P Rajeeve, who is also the local MLA, about the situation and the trouble we are facing. Though he has directed the local authorities and the district administration to take the steps necessary, the officials concerned haven’t taken any initiative to solve the issue,” he said.
Shabeer pointed out that the waste dumped carelessly is also leading to the spread of contagious diseases. “There have been reports that the number of dengue cases and other diseases reported in the area are rapidly increasing. Poor waste management also contributes to the situation. The authorities need to act immediately,” he said.
Meanwhile, Peringazha councillor Rani Rajesh said the area is owned by NAD and a lack of monitoring has caused the trouble. “The municipality has been asking NAD to install streetlights and cameras to find who the violators. As NAD owns the area, only they can install lights and cameras. People tend to throw waste there as there is no proper surveillance,” she said, adding that the authorities have caught and fined people dumping waste on the street several times.
The NAD Road passes through seven wards of the Kalamassery municipality, and waste is dumped at several points along the road.
Admitting that waste has not been cleared for a year, Rani said: “It was in October last that we cleared the waste from the area. Though warning boards were installed, people, especially from outside the municipality, are throwing waste there.”