Illegal waste haulers behind Amayizhanchan canal pollution in Kerala

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : Amayizhanchan canal — a 5.40km-long canal originating from the heart of the city and ending at Akkulam Lake — has remained an infamous sewer that carries tonnes of waste generated in the city. Illegal waste haulers dumping garbage in the canal and water bodies, and traders and other commercial establishments releasing sewage directly into the drains are the primary causes for the unabated pollution in the canal.

Since the closure of the Vilappilsala waste treatment plant, successive governments and corporation councils have failed to bring a permanent solution to address the issue. The garbage generated by the floating population and bulk waste generators is leading to illegal waste collection in water bodies.

Trivandrum City generates around 450 tonnes of waste every day.

The recent cleaning mishap at the canal passing underneath the railway lines at the Central Railway Station that claimed a life highlights the failures of various departments, including the City Corporation, district administration, irrigation department and the Indian Railways.

Former Thiruvananthapuram district collector Biju Prabhakar, who spearheaded Operation Anantha (a flood mitigation project initiated by the District Disaster Management Authority) blamed the illegal service providers and ‘garbage mafia’ for the unabated pollution happening at the canal.

“Traders, illegal waste pickers, and establishments on the banks of the canal are dumping garbage into it. The only way out is to cover this stretch and we have officially placed a proposal for this. This is a very successful model implemented in many other places including foreign countries. They use equipment and machinery to clean up these covered canals. Since we cannot change the people’s attitude, this is the only effective and practical solution,” he said.