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Reporter's Diary

Health hazard

The City Corporation claims to have eliminated the temporary garbage collection points in the wards covered by the Capital City Clean City project. But the stinking heap at Housing Board Junction flies in the face of the claim.

The garbage collected from households and hotels in the Thampanoor ward is dumped here, much to the consternation of residents and traders in the area who say the stench is driving them up the wall. Pedestrians and motorists turn up their noses on nearing the smelly heap. Dogs, cows and crows pick up food leftovers.

The fact that the collection point is located adjacent to two hotels exposes the callous approach of the Corporation authorities.

Civic authorities say the waste is removed daily but that is small consolation to the residents who are exposed to the health hazards caused by garbage accumulation.

Students' Parliament

a big hit

A Students' Parliament held at the Environmental Resource Centre on the banks of river Pampa in Puvathoor, near Aranmula, on the International Ozone Day, September 16, turned out to be a big hit.

Students from nearly 100 school and college students from different parts of the district participated in the environmental awareness programme organised by the Pampa Parirakshana Samiti (PPS).

Over a dozen scientists and experts in the field of environment conservation and earth science studies who were present answered the queries posed by the students as part of their mission to spread awareness on the urgent need for environment conservation and river protection.

The session proved to be lively with students asking inquisitive and puzzling queries about the ozone layer depletion in the Antartic zone, ill effects of the proposed Pampa-Achenkoil-Vaipar river linking scheme, hurdles for promoting properly washed sea sand as an alternative for the river sand in the construction industry, and so on.

Former Physics professor at the Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani, T.N.Ramakrishna Kurup, who is also an office-bearer of the PPS, was the moderator. The scientists who have participated in the programme include, Dr. Bijoy Nandan, (CUSAT), Dr. Padmalal (CESS), Dr. Varghese Mathew, Thuruthicaud BAM College principal, Dr. B.Unnikrishnan (Vazhoor NSS College), Dr. C.M.Roy, Prof Seetharaman, P.S.Gopinathan Nair, Kerala River Protection Council leaders and Dr. K.N.P.Kurup.

United Nations Committee on Elimination of Racial Discrimination R.V.Pillai, who was also the former Secretary General of the National Human Rights Commission, inaugurated the ERC, earlier. The ERC is part of the Endogenous Tourism Project in Aranmula, jointly sponsored by the United Nations Development Programme and the Government of India.

T. Nandakumar in Thiruvananthapuram

Radhakrishnan Kuttoor in Pathanamthitta

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