Standoff between Kochi Corporation and Thrikkakara municipality over movement of biodegradable waste to Brahmapuram

Thrikkakara municipality seeks permission to dispose of waste at the dumping yard; Kochi Mayor asks municipality to take up the matter with Minister as it is beyond the authority of the Corporation

A fresh standoff has emerged over waste disposal with the Thrikkakara municipal authorities opposing the transport of waste from the Kochi Corporation to the Brahmapuram yard.

Thrikkakara municipal councillors led by chairperson Ajitha Thankappan on Thursday morning blocked two truckloads of waste in front of the municipal office.

“If waste from the Kochi Corporation and other local bodies can be taken to Brahmapuram, then the Thrikkakara municipality, through which trucks carrying waste passed, should also be allowed to dispose of its waste at the plant. We will not allow movement of trucks to the plant until that demand is conceded,” said Ms. Thankappan while on her way to meet Mayor M. Anilkumar to discuss the issue.

However, Mr. Anilkumar dubbed the protest as politically motivated and dismissed the argument that waste from local bodies other than the Kochi Corporation was being disposed of at Brahmapuram. “The Thrikkakara municipal authorities could have raised the matter at a meeting attended by two Ministers earlier this month at which a decision was taken not to extend the deadline for disposal of waste from local bodies other than the Kochi Corporation at Brahmapuram. Not doing that then and protesting now imply that it is borne out of politics. The municipality can take up the matter with the Minister [Minister for Local Self Government] when he is here on Friday since it is beyond the authority of the Corporation to take a call on the matter,” he said.

Ms. Thankappan, on her part, claimed that she had indeed raised the issue of waste disposal at the meeting, and that the Minister had told her to enlist an agency for the purpose. “We are in the process of doing it. Our demand is that we should be given time till the end of this month till an alternative mechanism is set in motion. We will meet the Minister on Friday. If the problem still persists, we will resume our protest against movement of waste to Brahmapuram,” she said.