Over 700 waste dumping cases reported in 2 months

Tpuram: Despite corporation's efforts to curb waste dumping in the city, several people continue to dispose of garbage on roads, public lands and canals. Between July 15 and Sept 13, across all 100 wards, fines totalling Rs 3.42 lakh were imposed on offenders in 707 cases of illegal waste dumping.

The body of sanitation worker N Joy was retrieved on July 15 after he died while cleaning the garbage-choked Amayizhanjan canal, a vital waterway through the city. His death prompted the city to take immediate action, yet illegal waste dumping persists.

Though the corporation has made progress, a daily average of 15 cases of waste dumping are reported, said a senior official. One of the biggest challenges is large-scale dumping, according to officials. Of the 707 cases reported, 17 were referred to the police to file FIRs as they involved massive quantities of waste being dumped by trucks.

"Restaurants, poultry farms and slaughterhouses are responsible for much of the large-scale dumping," said an official from the enforcement wing. "Individuals on scooters are dumping household waste, while autorickshaws and trucks are responsible for disposing of large amounts from commercial establishments. The waste is frequently dumped in public spaces, including roads, rivers, streams, canals and even public wells. The offenders included major commercial establishments such as Ramachandran Retail and Uday Suites," the official said.

While enforcement efforts are going on, prevention efforts must target changing people's mindsets, he added.

However, Amayizhanjan canal is being cleaned daily. CCTV cameras and five trash booms to prevent floating waste from accumulating were installed near the canal. Trash booms are simple yet effective tools that trap waste at designated points, stopping it from spreading further.

Six-month campaign from Oct 2: Meanwhile, the corporation has announced a six-month public awareness campaign from Oct 2, aimed at educating the public and promoting responsible waste disposal. The campaign, which will run till March 31, 2025, will involve outreach to every household, apartment complex and commercial establishment in the city.

Besides technological solutions, the city's health wing has deployed six squads working in rotating shifts to patrol against illegal dumping. The corporation has also implemented a system for collecting septage waste within its boundaries and processing it scientifically at the Muttathara plant. A fleet of 36 tankers is dedicated to this purpose.

The city corporation has also installed GPS (global positioning system) on a total of 47 vehicles, including those from seven companies that collect poultry waste and 40 vehicles from 29 establishments that handle food waste within the city limits. This initiative aims to monitor the movement of these vehicles and ensure that waste is collected only from designated locations and not illegally dumped elsewhere.