KOCHI: As local body elections and political representatives come and go, certain issues bugging a locality always seem to remain unresolved.
Thrikkakara municipality, in the heart of Ernakulam district, which is also the municipality generating the highest revenue in the state, has been battling waste management for long.
Turning the region stinky, and causing trouble to residents and commuters alike, food and other solid waste keeps piling up in the dumping yard right behind the municipal office. Waste collection from houses too is lethargic, alleged local residents. However, the municipal authorities blame ‘technical issues’ for the situation.
“It has become a huge problem,” rued Salim Kunnumpuram, president, Thrikkakara Municipal Residents Associations’ apex council.
“The yard is infested with worms as food waste has been accumulating there for days without proper disposal. Now, the entire area is stinking. We are unable to breathe,” he said.
Salim alleged that repeated complaints to the municipality have failed to spur any action.
“Earthmovers are brought in sometimes, but only to dig a hole in the yard and bury the accumulated waste. If we object, the workers threaten us. Is this how the issue should be dealt with?” he asked.
The Haritha Karma Sena, entrusted to deal with both plastic and food waste in the municipality earlier, is now only assigned to collect plastic waste. They often abort duties as the dumping yard has no space to accommodate more waste. While the municipality has assigned an external agency to dispose of food waste, their failure to do so is being cited as the cause of the issue.
Thrikkakara municipality had 24 door-to-door waste collection vehicles, which conduct three trips every day, bringing in around 15 tonnes of waste to the yard daily. One day of collection creates a huge waste pile by the second day and also stalls further waste collection across the locality.
Recently, the municipality changed the company contracted for waste removal after constant complaints over the pile-up. But the newly appointed contractor too failed to complete waste removal, and the cycle repeats. “The municipality changed the contractor only last week. But the new contractor’s vehicle broke down and couldn’t complete the task for two days. So the municipal authorities advised Haritha Karma Sena not to collect waste until the yard is cleared,” said Thrikkakara municipal chairperson Radhamani Pillai.
As part of the Malinya Muktha Nava Keralam initiative, Thrikkakara was declared a waste-free municipality in April this year. At the same time, the long promised waste-treatment plant in the municipality too remains on paper.