Kerala HC seeks explanations from Collector, Corporation and Railways on removal of plastic wastes from Amayizhanjan canal

Kerala High Court orders report on plastic waste in Amayizhanjan canal, directs officials to clear legacy waste promptly.

A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court on July 15 directed the Thiruvananthapuram District Collector, Corporation, and the Railways to file a report detailing the reasons for the flow of plastic waste into the Amayizhanjan canal, the manner in which the waste was removed, and the persons responsible for dumping them into the canal.

The Bench comprising Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas and Justice Gopinath P. passed the order at a special sitting held in the wake of the drowning of a sanitation worker in the canal.

The court asked the authorities concerned to submit a specific plan of action for clearing the legacy waste accumulated in the canal, both within the railway property and outside.

The court directed the amici curiae appointed in the suo motu case registered in the wake of Brahmapuram fire outbreak, to interact with the officers, including former Chief Secretary Jiji Thomson, who were part of the ‘Operation Anantha’ which was carried out by the then government to prevent the flooding and submit a report in this regard.

The Counsel for the Railways submitted that the plastic waste mixed with unused clothes from the Thiruvananthapuram municipal corporation area is causing severe blockages in various parts of the canals. These floating materials had caused significant obstructions in the canal. In fact, the Railways had installed metallic mesh to prevent plastic waste being carried along the flow. Those metal meshes were not sufficient enough to prevent the plastic in view of the heavy deposits of plastic. The Irrigation department was granted permission to clean the Railway section of the canal.

The Corporation’s counsel countered the Railways submission and contended that that the corporation had earlier addressed letters to the railway requesting it to remove waste accumulated on the Railway premises as well as the debris and other waste materials deposited in the railway’s tunnel culvert at Thampanoor.

The government pleader submitted that the government had called for a meeting of the Railways in which it was asked to review its existing waste collection contract.