THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As the Tamil Nadu Police has tightened border checks to prevent waste from Kerala from reaching Tamil Nadu, contract agencies are dumping waste in uninhabited areas in Kerala itself. On Monday midnight, railway waste was dumped by a tipper lorry in a private yard at Kumarapuram Poonthi road in Thiruvananthapuram. The people who dumped the garbage were caught after the locals informed the patrolling squad of the corporation.

The only way to prevent this is for people to be alert and inform the health departments of the local department on time about the dumping of waste. Contract agencies dump waste at many places as many of the pollution control board-approved agencies do not have their own waste management systems.

Such agencies will issue quotations to small paper companies after contracting with firms. It was these paper companies that used to take the waste to Tamil Nadu and dump it. Dumping of garbage in some villages of Tirunelveli had led to massive protests and the garbage was taken back by Kerala. Garbage is being dumped in various places in Kerala after Tamil Nadu has started being cautious.

Railway waste also to private agencies

In the state of Kerala, the largest amount of waste is collected from the railways every day. Many of the private agencies that dispose of this waste are dumping it in different places. Clean Kerala Company, a government agency, is to get Rs 55 lakh for the removal of non-organic waste from the Thiruvananthapuram Railway Division from 2019 to 2020. 32 lakhs for waste management and 22 lakhs for employee wages. The Clean Kerala company did not renew the contract due to non-payment. That is when private agencies started collecting garbage.

Give Info and take money

Information about those who throw garbage along with pictures can be forwarded to the LSG department on the number 9446700800. The concerned local authority will identify the person and impose a fine.

25% of the amount levied as fine or a maximum of Rs 2500 will be given as a reward to the informers.

The LSG department has appointed a special committee to conduct a proper investigation of the agencies. Subcontracting will also be prohibited.

-Minister MB Rajesh