Waste from secretariat dumped near river

Thiruvanathapuram: While National Green Tribunal has been repeatedly pulling up the state government for non-compliance with waste management rules and contamination of water bodies, the health wing of city corporation has seized a truck which was being used to dump huge quantities of waste in a deserted plot near Karamana River at Thrikkannapuram with a gate pass issued by the general administration department for transport of waste.
The gate pass issued by the under-secretary, general administration (house-keeping) and signed as permitted by the security officer of secretariat has been issued for the disposal of waste from secretariat main campus, annexe-1, annexe-2 and garden. The corporation has been trying to segregate the waste and remove it before it contaminates the river. The plot spread over 30 cents is filled with plastic waste, files, construction waste and even used toilet brushes and mops. The civic body has been in a fix over penal action to be taken since it involved the state secretariat.
It was only two months ago that chief secretary had submitted the status report on compliance of the state with directions of National Green Tribunal, which also carried a detailed action plan for Karamana River. Besides in May, additional chief secretary (ACS) of local self-government department (LSGD) had convened a meeting based on complaints that plastic waste and dry waste were being dumped in water bodies under city corporation limits.
Ironically, the ACS had directed corporation to publish on its website on which agencies collected dry waste and how they processed it. Besides, corporation was also asked to seek the assistance of Clean Kerala company in collection and processing of non-biodegradable and e-waste. It seems that the authorities have been unaware of the fact that the waste being generated in secretariat was being carted away and dumped in a plot near the water body posing serious environmental hazards.
The civic body seized the truck based on a complaint filed by local residents on repeated dumping of waste near the water body. As per the documents seized from the truck driver, the general administration department had entrusted collection and disposal of 16 loads of waste from secretariat with one K K Krishnakumar.
The corporation authorities said that the person who was caught dumping waste at Thrikkanapuram near Karamana River told them that he had been doing it for the past few months at Rs 3,000 per day. While the gate pass issued from secretariat shows dates from June 7 to 17, corporation officials said that the person has been transporting and dumping waste from secretariat and even from other places at Thrikkanapuram.
The health wing has reported that although the driver and the land owners were summoned to the office and asked to remove the waste piles, the waste dumping continued unabated following which the truck was seized.
The report has pointed out that at a time when case is ongoing at National Green Tribunal, the dumping of waste near the water body has aggravated chances of contamination with the water level of Karamana River set to rise during monsoon. It is also suspected that he was transporting waste from other government offices as well and from private parties.