Corporation trying to ‘cover up’ garbage issue in Thrissur city with plastic sheet

Huge mounds of garbage that have hidden with a plastic sheet. The garbage remains piled up in the heart of Thrissur city.
| Photo Credit: K.K. NAJEEB

The fire at the Brahmapuram waste plant in Kochi appears not to have become an eye-opener for the Thrissur Corporation. Huge mounds of garbage have been piling up at Sakthan Nagar in the heart of the city.

Even in the wake of the Brahmapuram fire, instead of taking any effective steps to remove the piled-up garbage, the Corporation has now covered the garbage dumping yard with a plastic sheet as if to hide it from the people. The garbage has been dumped in a compound close to the Sakthan Bus stand used by thousands of people daily.

“Even after spending crores of rupees, tonnes of garbage have piled up at Sakthan Nagar. As many as 12 bio-gas plants have been closed. The waste management plant at Sakthan Nagar is not functioning. The waste management projects of the Corporation are a total failure. Even after repeated protests from the people and traders, there has not been any effective steps to remove the huge pile of garbage,” alleged Rajan Pallan, Opposition leader in the Corporation.

The Congress councillors will take a protest march to the garbage dumping yard at Sakthan Nagar on Saturday, he said.

Earlier, the garbage was used for making bio-manure. But such waste management has not been happening for a few years. “People cannot walk near the area without closing their nose due to the bad odour of rotten garbage. The Health department too ignoring the issue,” said a source.

“If an untoward situation such as the one at Brahmapuram happens here, the entire city will be affected,” source said.

Many main offices, including bus stand, fire and rescue services office, police headquarters, and fish and vegetable markets are situated around the area.