With the Pathanamthitta municipality stopping solid waste removal, garbage is piling up in the town and the municipal dumping yard, posing a public health risk.
Strong stench emanates from the dump yard located near the Ring Road. The private agency tasked by the municipality to remove waste from the yard has stopped doing so. The slaughterhouse is also located closeby. The wells and other waterbodies in the vicinity are polluted due to seepage from the dump.
The Health Department has already cautioned against the chances of dengue and leptospirosis with the onset of monsoon.
Canal clogged
The canal along the Ring Road has been more or less clogged with plastic waste, making it a safe breeding place for mosquitoes.
The civic body is yet to adopt a proper scientific waste disposal system.
Interestingly, three government offices, municipal office, police station, veterinary hospital, municipal market and so on with nearly 300 employees are situated near the dump yard.
Not less than 2,000 people visit these offices on a daily basis. Many shops and establishments also function in the locality. The merchants association in the town has threatened to launch an agitation in protest against the waste issue.
Fever clinic
Health Department sources said 250 to 300 patients visited the fever clinic at the General Hospital in the town everyday, adding that a clean environment was a must for preventing the spread of epidemics, especially during the monsoon season.