Charging fine won't solve Thiruvananthapuram's garbage problem

It took three days of arduous labour and some daring act for the fire force brigades to find the dead body of contract labourer Joy from the nauseous garbage-filled Amayizhanchan canal. The mayor, officers within the corporation and a bevvy of railway staff were stationed outside the canal for three days while the media engaged in raucous debates over the topic.

‘How did such waste reach the canal?’ the question from the media elicited surprise from people but nobody expected the corporation to feign the same reaction. The appalling waste management issues were not unknown to the corporation but they acted as if they knew nothing.

The corporation knows best how much inorganic waste is collected in the city and what percentage of it is disposed of. However, they tried to pile all the blame on the railway to wriggle out of this issue. To repair the dent created in the Amayizhanchan canal issue, the corporation engaged in a ‘fine spree’, imposing hefty penalties on people and institutions for waste disposals in public places. It is appalling that they haven’t learned a thing from all the setbacks. An ideal move would have been to find out the core reason that forces people to dump waste on the public en masse.

You don't have to go to any foreign country to learn about waste management. In India, many cities, including Indore are exemplary for their achievement in tidiness and upkeep. There are even panchayats in Kerala that have done tremendous work in conforming with the PM’s message for Swach Bharat.

If waste is processed and converted into other products, it becomes one of the most profitable sources. People's representatives are not incapable of thinking this way but they often join forces in opposing the establishment of sewage treatment plants, only with an aim for political brownies.

The high court heavily came against the Thiruvananthapuram corporation expressing shock over the garbage piled in the city.

“How can this happen in the capital city of Kerala while other state capitals have overhauled in a way to turn a feast for the eyes of onlookers” asked the High Court. The report of the amicus curiae appointed by the High Court said there are no garbage-free places in the capital city. The reality is that even government vehicles throw garbage on the road.

As a first step, the government should create a special system under a dedicated IAS officer to address the issue. That system should have the support of the top echelons of governance. It is better to fast-track moves before another victim floats in the Amayizhanchan canal.