In a bid to find a solution to the dumping of waste on roadsides by residents in Thripunithura, the municipality has introduced a ward-level waste management system.
Municipal Chairperson R. Chandrika Devi said a kiosk to manage waste had been set up as a pilot at Anaparambu about two months ago and it had been running without complaints.
She said the municipality was trying to find a waste disposal system that complied with the laws and was accepted by the residents as well.
The councillors had in general agreed to look out for public spaces to set up such kiosks in their wards.
However, the first such project proposed three years ago at Thamarakulangara was dropped following opposition from the locals.
Councillor Radhika Varma said that the facility was to manage waste generated in two wards. Though ₹7 lakh was sanctioned for the purpose, residents in the area opposed it.
Councillor Arun S. said that his project, Mission Clean Ward 40, never took off as people were unsure whether such a facility, though a necessity, would run well even after a change of term of the councillor or the governance at the municipality. The facility was to come up at the intersection of two wards.
Earlier projects
The people’s fears about the continuation of such projects seem genuine considering the state of affairs of two such facilities that were set up in Thripunithura earlier – one at the Girls High School and the other at the Taluk Hospital. The facility at the hospital was set up more than three years ago. However, in spite of notices issued to the hospital authorities to arrange persons in the hospital to be in-charge of the facility, no action had been taken to run it properly. All the food waste generated in the hospital is being sent outside.The facility at the school too had not gone well for various reasons.
The previous council headed by R. Venugopal had taken the decision to set up such facilities in public institutions and government land before switching to any ward-level system. He had also set up a model facility near the municipal office, but in vain.
Residents’ associations need to a play an important role in making the ward-level kiosks a success, said councillor Sindhu Madhukumar.
