Waste removal drive from Thursday

In order to ensure a clean city prior to ‘Emerging Kerala’, the Corporation will intensify its waste removal drive from Thursday.

According to health standing committee chairman T K Ashraf, staff will be appointed at all secondary waste collection points from 12 noon to 7 pm to ensure that no waste is left rotting on the streets.

“Currently, the waste from the secondary collection point is only collected up to 12 noon. The waste which arrives after noon is left for the next day, due to paucity of daily wage employees at the Corporation. However, in the wake of ‘Emerging Kerala’, trucks will do extra rounds at the secondary collection points,” Ashraf said.

A secondary collection point is the area where waste is dumped from all houses and hotels. This is usually done by the kudumbashree members. The waste is then taken by the staff appointed by the Corporation to the waste dumping plants via trucks.

“We have made arrangements at all 22 divisions, where a health inspector has been entrusted to ensure that waste is collected. Based on the success of the new arrangement, we will continue this process even after ‘Emerging Kerala’ event,” he said.

Apart from waste collection, the Mayor has also ordered the immediate removal of illegal hoardings and extra advertisements from every nook and cranny of the city. “We have send out orders asking every individual concerned to remove the hoardings. Those who fail to do so will be forced to pay a heavy fine,” said Deputy Mayor B Bhadra.

Meanwhile, wayside eateries and coconut vendors will be banned from September 12 to September 14. This is being done to keep at bay any health risk for the foreign dignitaries who fly down to the state, Bhadra said.