THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The capital is grappling with a mounting waste crisis following the termination of private service providers by the city corporation.
Food waste movement from households has come to a grinding halt after the civic body terminated the private service providers following strict measures against the illegal dumping of waste in Tamil Nadu.
It is learned that the service providers used to collect an average of 50 tonnes of food waste per day from bulk waste generators and others from the state capital.
Following intervention from the National Green Tribunal (NGT), strict restrictions were imposed on cross-border movement of waste from Kerala to Tamil Nadu. Following this, the Haritha Karma Sena members stopped the collection of food waste from households.
The move of the city corporation to introduce kitchen bins in households for waste management has been cold-shouldered by the residents. Many residents are resisting the move of the city corporation to impose kitchen bins in households for handling food waste. Secretary of Thycaud Elankom Nagar Residents Association T Padmakumar said that source-level waste management solutions introduced by the civic body in the past years have been a failure.
“There are around 260 houses under our association and we have accepted all of the solutions offered by the civic body in the past. We tried all of the solutions – ring compost, pipe compost and kitchen bins – and owing to lack of follow up and support all of them failed.
Now the authorities are trying to sabotage an existing system we have and are imposing kitchen bins again. We are not ready to accept it. We have raised the issue in the Museum Janamaithri meeting held recently and we are ready to accept this only if the civic body runs these facilities without any issues for a period of six months. They can implement it in a few households and show the result,” said Padmakumar.
An official of the health wing said that the civic body has decided to implement the project in 50 divisions immediately.
“The residents will have to adopt this and manage their food waste at source. This will be strictly implemented. So far the response has been poor,” said the official.
UDF councillor P Padmakumar said that the service provided by Haritha Karma Sena members is inadequate.
“People are getting their services only twice a month and after collecting the waste they keep it in the locality for days,” said Padmakumar.