
KOCHI: Highlighting the poor waste management system of Kochi corporation, the report filed by the amicus curiae before the Kerala High Court stated that municipal solid waste is entering the drainage system (stormwater drain system) in the city and public places in general.
This indicates significant lapses - both systemic and in execution - in the solid waste management mechanism implemented by the corporation.
The report noted that the amount of waste accumulating in public spaces underscores the severity of these shortcomings.
The amicus curiae filed the report in response to a suo motu case initiated by the High Court following the fire at the Brahmapuram waste treatment plant, and regarding the implementation of Solid Waste Management Rules.
On December 23 last year, the court directed the amicus curiae to submit a report identifying areas that require the court’s attention concerning the accumulation of filth, plastic, and other waste in drains. Accordingly, an inspection was conducted in six regions.
These included the drain/canal running adjacent to or beneath the Kudumbashree Hall/Anganwadi premises at Ponnurunni in Ward No. 48 of the Kochi Corporation and the drain/canal along Panampilly Nagar Avenue and the service road from Gokul Oottupura Restaurant to the Rotary Club of Cochin, Balabhavan, passing through Panampilly Nagar.
According to the report, the condition of the canal suggests a considerable and consistent inflow of waste into the drainage system.
The waste inflow has the potential to undermine all measures undertaken by the High Court to de-clog the canal system and prevent flooding.
“Unless the solid waste management system is made foolproof, waste will continue to enter the drainage system, making it cumbersome and ineffective to de-clog the canals and prevent flooding,” the report stated.
The amicus curiae recommended that the Kochi Corporation take effective steps to address gaps in the system to ensure that municipal solid waste generated within its jurisdiction does not bypass the existing waste management systems.
Photographs submitted with the report showed that the drain adjacent to the Anganwadi at Ponnurunni is filled with plastic and other waste. During the hearing on December 23, the court observed, “It is an embarrassment for the entire city to witness such an accumulation of filth without removal.”
The court will consider the report on January 14.