The Hindu : Residents' threat to block lorries

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Oct 10, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala-Thiruvananthapuram

Residents' threat to block lorries

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM OCT. 9. The Save Life Palayam Action Council has threatened to block lorries and other vehicles which carry huge quantities of waste for dumping in the premises of the Connemara market at Palayam.

Addressing a press conference here today, the president of the Federation of Residents Association Thiruvananthapuram (FRAT), T. A. John, who is a member of the action council, said huge quantities of waste material were being brought in trucks of the City Corporation as well as private carriers and dumped in the area near the meat and vegetable stalls in the Palayam market.

Though the Corporation had issued orders against the dumping of hospital waste in the market, huge quantities of hospital waste were also being dumped here, he charged.

Mr. John urged the City Corporation authorities and the State Government to take immediate steps for the removal of the waste dumped inside the Connemara market at Palayam and also to set up a scientific garbage disposal facility in the market.

The action council leaders charged that 2,860 sq.ft of land behind the Palayam market belonging to the Thiruvananthapuram Development Authority (TRIDA) was being used as a garbage dumping yard by the Corporation. There, however, was no system for removing the garbage from the premises.

Though the Corporation has 14 covered vehicles for garbage removal, only six vehicles were now being utilised for the purpose, they further charged. Part of the waste in the market was being burned periodically to make way for further dumping.

The action council leaders said the residents of the area were suffering from respiratory ailments as a result of the burning of the waste. The fact that the St. Josephs Cathedral as well as a hospital were situated nearby, added to the seriousness of the problem. Complaints to the Local Administration Department, City Corporation and the Health department had not yielded any results.

The council leaders urged the authorities to take immediate steps to clean the market and conduct a free medical checkup programme for the residents of the area. The action council leader, Hamza, and the secretary of the City Meat Merchants Association, Mohanan, also attended the press conference.

Govt. intervention sought

The CPI parliamentary party leader in the Corporation Council, Kadakampally Mohanan, today urged the Government to take over the solid waste treatment project at Vilappilsala and launch an action plan to tackle the garbage crisis in the city.

In a pressnote issued here today, Mr.Mohanan alleged that the Government and the UDF leadership were trying to make political capital out of the crisis instead of resolving the issue. He accused the Government of evading its responsibility by shifting the blame on to the civic body. ``The Government is involved in efforts to run down the Corporation at a time when the city residents are exposed to the threat of epidemics from accumulated garbage'', he said.

Mr. Mohanan said the KPCC president who is leading an agitation against the Corporation had earlier called for closing down the garbage plant. He said the Poabs Group operating the plant had failed to ensure the smooth functioning of the project. He accused the company of using pressure tactics to get the Government to concede its unjust demands.

Accusing the Congress leadership of trying to disrupt the Corporation administration, he said the cut in Plan funds and indiscriminate transfer of officials was evidence of this move. He termed the systematic efforts to intimidate the LDF- ruled Corporation as an affront to democratic traditions.

Mr.Mohanan said the Government should join hands with the Corporation to resume the functioning of the garbage plant on a war footing.

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