Thiruvananthapuram: Corporation plans to rope in Adani Group for waste management around airport

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With complaints about garbage piles around the airport on the rise and threats of bird hits looming, the city corporation has proposed to Adani Group about funding under corporate social responsibility for waste management.
In a move aimed at systematically reducing the practice of open dumping of waste near the airport, the city corporation had initiated door-to-door collection of food waste from around 350 households at Vallakadavu. However, many households are unwilling either to hand over the waste or to pay the user fee. Considering this situation, the corporation has sought a tie-up with the Adani Group in finding a feasible way to manage waste.
Corporation officials said that they are awaiting a response from the Adani Group. The city corporation has often found itself at the receiving end over the incidents of bird hits at Trivandrum airport since mounds of garbage near the landing area and spots close to the airport attract birds in large numbers.
Valiyathura police had in 2021 forwarded a letter to the city corporation seeking action on eviction of meat vendors responsible for open dumping of slaughter waste in the area. The health wing of the city corporation had also convened meetings of meat vendors in the area to promote their doing business in an authorized market facility with sufficient waste collection and disposal facilities.
The city corporation earlier considered prosecution measures against unauthorised meat vendors and butchers who operate in the vicinity of the airport after airfield environment management committee (AEMC) and district collector called for stringent measures to check bird menace.
A joint inspection by airport authorities, city corporation officials and police was held in 2020 to identify various places where birds were found in large numbers. Open markets, meat vending spots, dump yards were identified during the visit.