Kerala - Kochi   

Clear picture yet to emerge on waste disposal

Anand Haridas

Residents' associations remain confused

KOCHI: With a little over a week to go for the renewed November 30 deadline for ending dumping of garbage at Willingdon Island, residents' associations here are yet to get a clear picture of decentralised garbage processing.

Though meetings are being held at the ward level to coordinate among the associations, Kudumbasree units and ayalkoottams (neighbourhood groups) to take up the work, a strategy is yet to be formed.

"During a meeting of health officials, it was made clear that we need to purchase more equipment for processing segregated waste. This will take at least another month and a half. Hopefully, we shall have a mechanism in place by that time," Mayor Mercy Williams said.

Most associations are confused about how to go about the decentralised processing. "We get calls from various residents' associations asking for clarifications," said P.K. Gopalakrishnan, general secretary of Ernakulam Residents' Associations Apex Council.

At present, the corporation is trying to ensure segregation of garbage, on the basis of biodegradability, at the household level. "I had written to all 71 councillors in the corporation, suggesting that committees headed by them be formed to ensure cleanliness of the areas," said S. Balakrishnan, president of the apex council.

The concept is to reduce the quantity of garbage generated and thus, cut the money needed to transport it. The corporation has to spend more than Rs. 2 lakh daily for transporting garbage to dumping sites. "With garbage being processed at the ward level, the volume of garbage can be reduced to 3.5 tonnes on an average. This will require only a lorry-full of garbage to be removed from each ward," Mr. Balakrishnan said.

No regular monitoring

Whether the initiative will succeed or not is doubtful, as the residents' associations are not ready to take up regular monitoring.

"The residents' associations are not organised bodies, whereas councillors can implement the policy decision taken by the civic body," he said.

Another point of contention is the disposal of non-biodegradable waste, such as plastic. It is said that the ban on use of plastics of less than 30-micron thickness alone will not solve the issue, as other plastic products continue to be dumped with garbage.

Some residents' associations have been complaining that the corporation is more interested in entrusting the work with Kudumbasree. The Mayor counters this. "Wherever the residents' associations have been actively involved in collection and processing of garbage, they will be allowed to do so. Kudumbasree units will be concentrating on regions without associations," Ms. Williams said.

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