Almost a week after a sanitation worker died by drowning in a canal while involved in cleaning work, the State government and the Opposition continued to trade barbs over the waste management situation in Kerala.
Minister for Local Self-Governments M.B. Rajesh wrote an open letter to Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan on Friday accusing him of ignoring the government’s interventions at various levels in this regard. On Saturday, Mr. Satheesan hit back in another open letter, saying that not even Left party workers would believe the Minister’s claims which are disproved by the waste dumps seen in local body wards across the State.
Mr. Rajesh listed out the relevant numbers to highlight the transformation in waste management measures after the launch of Malinya Mukhtam Nava Keralam campaign, following the fire at the Brahmapuram plant. The amount of waste collected in one year doubled from 30,217 tonnes to 61,947.97 tonnes after the launch of the campaign, reflecting the stark improvement in doorstop collection of waste. By June 2024, the collection of non-biodegradable waste by the Haritha Karma Sena increased to 86.6% households, compared to 47% in March 2023, he said.
The Minister further said that along with increasing the physical infrastructure by increasing the number of material collection facilities, the government had also stepped up enforcement measures. The High Court had also lauded the government’s measures at Brahmapuram and elsewhere, he said.
‘Need proactive approach’
Mr. Satheesan said that the State government is taking a reactive approach to crises, rather than a proactive approach to prevent such situations. Even when the Minister claims that the number of material collection facilities (MCFs) has increased, large piles of waste were seen even in his constituency. The spread of water-borne diseases is a testament to the failure of waste management in the State. The government has not carried out any investigation into the Brahmapuram fire or on the Opposition’s allegations regarding corruption in the awarding of contract at Brahmapuram.
Several tonnes of waste were removed from the Amayizhanjan Canal after Joy went missing. If these were removed earlier, such an accident would not have happened. After he went missing, modern machinery was used to remove the waste. The fact that humans are still made to do such work shows the failure of waste management measures in the State, he said.
