KOCHI: Today, September 20, is observed worldwide as World Cleanup Day. This year’s theme focuses on local clean-up actions on beaches and coastal areas. However, in Kerala, many consider the day to be a photo op. Soon, you will see scores, dressed in matching T-shirts that scream ‘Volunteer’, engaged in clean-up activities in places such as Fort Kochi, Varkala and the like.
Even if you weren’t anywhere near the beach to have witnessed it, the scenes from the day would be plastered all over social media with sound-good-feel-good captions like ‘Together We Can’ or ‘We Love Clean Cities’, etc.
However, within a week’s time, the beaches would be back to their ‘original’ state — filled with filth and garbage — rendering the weekend’s activity, like the previous attempts, as a futile exercise.
For beaches to be truly clean, you will need the larger city to be clean as well. “Unless you can prevent the dumping of waste — on roadsides, into canals and other public places; your beach is never going to be clean. For soon, all of this garbage will invariably make its way to the shore or to the waters,” says David Lawrence, who, with his wife Flowery, manages Delight Homestay in Fort Kochi.
What’s to be done then? Well, the government has tooted many programmes in the past. So have local-level administrations. But none seemed to have accomplished the desired result for a plethora of reasons. Ultimately, it boils down to each one of us. The next time you find yourself holding a bit of trash you want to dispose of, don’t let go of it wherever you please. Instead, find a bin. The right bin.
Also, ensure that the contents of this bin are disposed of promptly. Usually, the local administration would have a system in place — someone to come collect it on a regular basis. In Kerala, it is Haritha Karma Sena.
However, should this mechanism be awry, as it is on some occasions, do not be tempted to bundle it up in a sack and throw it into your nearest canal. Do not also be tempted to toss it into an over-100-year-old building, especially one that once housed the greatest football team ever assembled in Kerala.
A scene from Fort Kochi
Recently, it was found that heaps of garbage were dumped near the famous United Club in Fort Kochi. “What a disgrace!” laments Sivadathan M P, the director of Kerala Homestay and Tourism Society (HATS).
“This lackadaisical attitude when it comes to disposing of waste largely stems from indifference. As they say, what is out of sight is out of mind. But how can we claim Fort Kochi is a tourist’s paradise when such basics are floundered?” Sivadathan wonders.
About 100 sacks of garbage were collected from just the premises of United Club by a handful of residents. “Thankfully, in this case, the local councillor too was keen to help. Usually, assistance comes very rarely from the local administration,” says a resident.
Now, you’d think that would have solved the problem. Sadly, it did not. Just days later, it was noted that a new garbage heap had formed, mere metres away from the Club.
“This is as much a problem in Fort Kochi as it is across the state,” says Sajith Saj, one of the directors of Clean Fort Kochi Foundation (CFF), which has been cleaning the beach here for years.
However, CFF’s operations stalled after the corporation refused to offer any support. “Our team was doing a very good job and the residents were all very appreciative. However, we didn’t receive any support. So gradually, our efforts waned,” explains Sajith.
“But we wish the administrators had a plan in place. Today, the stench emanating from these garbage heaps is turning tourists away in droves. This is going to have a drastic impact on the industry,” Sajith adds.
A scene from Varkala
The iconic Varkala Cliff, known informally to many as the Goa of Kerala, is one of the most sought-after tourist destinations in the state. But it has now turned into a waste dump yard, due to a lack of proper waste management and a scientific drainage system.
Varkala Cliff has more than 500 establishments including homestays, restaurants and resorts. Most of them pump wastewater directly to the beach at least once or twice a week. Tourists and visitors arriving at Varkala to enjoy sunset have to wade through garbage. The tourism department and Varkala municipality are allegedly turning a blind eye.
“There is no regular waste collection. There are no dustbins either. We hardly have foreign tourists now,” says a restaurant owner.
“The municipality and tourism department refuse to clean up the cliff. During weekends, the area experiences a heavy rush. Visitors usually litter the waste along the pathway due to lack of dustbins,” says another who runs an establishment on the cliff.
According to local traders, the waste management situation has been deteriorating in recent years.
“Now, the cliff doesn’t even have toilets and a few that were built lack water connection. This exposes the inefficiency of the system. The government should find a way to supervise these things,” said Sanjay Sahadevan, advisor to Varkala Tourism Development Association.
Lately, the tourism department has installed CCTVs here to nab those illegally dumping waste. Could imposing fines help curb the menace?
It certainly has in Hue, Vietnam, notes TNIE reporter Rajesh Abraham following his visit there: “The city is wonderfully clean. The Vietnam government’s decision to initiate stern steps against littering through heavy fines and consistent cleanups seemed to be paying off. Cleaning is done round-the-clock.”
Bad to worse?
Heaps of garbage, stench, mosquitoes and stray dogs — this is just one side of the problem, points out Sivadathan.
“The other is the apathy of officials and a lack of political will,” he adds. In the years helming HATS, Sivadathan has seen nearly five masterplans already on how the waste crisis could be tackled. “None of them have been implemented. Officials are just okay running the same shortcuts as before. There’s no long-term vision whatsoever.”
The situation wasn’t as bad as it is now, points out D Dhanuraj of the Centre for Public Policy Research. According to him, what has further compounded the problem is the government’s decision to rely solely on Haritha Karma Sena for waste management.
“This invariably paved the way for the slow death of other agencies which were tasked with keeping our cities clean,” says Dhanuraj. According to him, Haritha Karma Sena does not have the expertise nor the bandwidth to cater to the complete waste management of a city.
“Ideally, what the government should have done is rope in all these institutions and devise a protocol to ensure some uniformity. Now, without their support, our waste garbage crisis is only going to mount in a few years,” he adds.
Nowhere is this crisis more evident than on our beaches. When these ‘volunteers’ finally have their sacks of garbage filled and ready to be taken away, there likely won’t be anyone there to pick them up!