Waste: Pinning hope on autos

With the Corporation dilly-dallying on its promise to grant 15 autorickshaws under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) project to collect waste several areas of Kalamassery municipality have turned into mounts of trash.

Various places, especially the region bordering the municipality and the Corporation at Muttar bridge, have literally turned into a dumping yard posing trouble to the pedestrians and the locals.  Kalamassery municipal chairman Jamal Manakkadan said that a proposal to supply fifteen autorickshaws to collect waste was submitted two years ago. But the lethargy shown by the Corporation has slackened the pace of its ensuing works, he said.

Jamal said the autos could be of immense help if obtained.

“Currently, we are using trucks for the purpose. But it is difficult to get them manoeuvred through pocket roads. If autos are provided we could at least send one auto to three wards which can mitigate the issue to an extent,” he said.

Though the tender was floated two years ago, it could not be materialised stating that the amount was huge. Then the proposal was put to re-tender which was completed. But we are yet to reap its benefits, he said.  Jamal also pointed out that the process is also going to take time as the proposal has to be submitted before the empowering committee in Thiruvananthapuram.

The council has to pass the proposal and present it before the aforementioned committee for its speedy processing,” he said. But locals living in the nearby areas of Kalamassery municipality has a different story to tell. Celin, a local residing near the Muttar bridge, said the municipality has stopped collecting waste. “Because of it, the locals are throwing the garbage here. We are unnecessarily bearing the brunt for not a reason of our own. Besides, they also pointed out that the vehicles are getting rusted as they are not being used,” she said. A top Corporation official said that he is unaware of such a proposal.

“The heaps of trash are increasing at Kalamassery not because there are no autorickshaws but because the municipality has  stopped collecting waste. It even do not have a proper dumping yard. Besides, providing autos would not serve the purpose as they are for door-to-door waste collection,” he said.