Misuse of twin bins continues to worry Kozhikode Corporation
The Kozhikode Corporation has set up twin steel bins all across the city to keep roads clean and encourage commuters to deposit minor waste such as toffee or biscuit wrappers promptly in the bins. But it has turned out to be a headache for the civic body in some parts of the city as people tend to deposit their household waste, including food and diapers, in and around the bins.
'We caught a few people red-handed and fined them. Our cleaning staff clears the bins promptly in the morning. But bags of waste appear around them within hours,' said S. Jayasree, health standing committee chairperson of the Corporation.
The Corporation has appointed one extra employee in every health circle to ensure that the bins are cleared promptly. Besides, there are plans to absorb around 100 more people into the force.
Ms. Jayasree said the Haritha Mitram mobile application that enabled the collection of household waste had 95% coverage in the city, and that most households cooperated with the Haritha Karma Sena. However, there are exceptions. 'We can educate only those who are unaware of the services we provide. This misuse of bins seems to be a deliberate mischief,' she added.
She complained that the steel lids of the bins had been forcefully removed in some places. 'Depositing diapers and medical waste in the bins is a source of discomfort for cleaning workers. We have the 'Aakri' mobile application for efficient disposal of biomedical waste, including diapers and sanitary napkins, besides tubes and syringes. For those who cannot afford the services of the app, the Corporation supports them financially,' she added.
Ms. Jayasree said the extra effort being put in for waste management due to the misuse of the bins was draining the Corporation of valuable funds and manpower that could have been put to positive use.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
6 days ago
- The Hindu
80% of third phase UGD project in Tirunelveli likely to be completed by December 31
The Corporation has set itself a target of completing 80% of third phase of its ongoing underground drainage (UGD) project in Palayamkottai and Melapalayam Zones by December end, the Superintending Engineer Kannan has said. Responding to a question from M. Francis, chairman of Palayamkottai Zone, Mr. Kannan said 44% of the third phase of the underground drainage work being implemented in the wards in Palayamkottai and Melapalayam Zones had been completed. As of now, the underground drainage work was being completed at the rate of 1.30 km daily and the roads damaged in the process were repaired after the drainage pipes were laid. 'Hence, we are hopeful of completing 80% of this work by December 31,' Mr. Kannan informed the councillors. He said 8 or 9 blocks in the underground drainage system were being removed every day. Water scheme On the progress of the Ariyanayagipuram Drinking Water Scheme, he said the TWAD Board implementing this project had given more than 24,000 drinking water connections to the houses against the target of 33,000 connections. He said the Corporation, in the past five years, had taken up 1,763 roadworks and completed more than 1,000 works by laying roads for 326 km at the cost of ₹173 crore. Pavulraj, representing Ward No. 6, said the cement roads laid earlier in some parts of his ward could not be milled for laying the bitumen over it, which had resulted in significant increase in the height of the road to leave pits around the underground drainage manhole. 'Since this uneven surface often causes accidents, the officials should find effective solution for this serious issue,' he said. When Mr. Pavulraj complained about frequent fires in the dumpyard at Ramaiyanpatti during summer, Mayor G. Ramakrishnan said the waste dumped on 135 acres would be compacted to 60 acres after compartmentalising the garbage in smaller areas for preventing the rapid spread of the fire and facilitating fire fighting. Show of support Expressing solidarity with the protesting sanitation workers of Greater Chennai Corporation, Mr. Pavulraj turned up in sanitation worker's uniform while carrying placards demanding regularisation of their service instead of outsourcing the sanitation operations. As Mr. Ramakrishnan completed one year in office after his predecessor P.M. Saravanan had to step down following a revolt by councillors, he thanked the members for having reposed faith in him.
The Hindu
08-08-2025
- The Hindu
North Chennai residents to present plan to Mayor claiming it can cut city's wet waste by 30%, oppose Waste-to-Energy plant in Kodungaiyur
'Green Chennai Initiative', if implemented well, can help to reduce nearly one-third of the wet waste sent from homes, markets, and commercial hubs across the city to the landfills, according to the Federation of North Chennai Residents' Welfare Association. A people-centric approach can be an alternative to the waste-to-energy plant, proposed by the Greater Chennai Corporation, at Kodungaiyur, residents and experts say. The waste-to-energy project has faced backlash since last year. Notably, a similar proposal, considered by the civic body in 2008, was scrapped as the Corporation was unable to secure the environmental clearance. There was opposition from environmentalists, sources say. According to T.K. Shanmugam of the Federation, 'Green Chennai Initiative', put forth by the association along with experts, calls for strict source segregation, bio-methanation, decentralised composting, involving 'green ambassadors' chosen from among members of the public, and controlling the use of single-use plastic. It will be an alternative to the plant proposed at Kodungaiyur. He says the plan is yet to be formally presented to Mayor R. Priya. He says some residents are willing to segregate waste, but most household trash is collected in a mixed form. Conservancy workers then dump dry and wet waste together in the collection vehicle. This is a hurdle to proper waste management in North Chennai. Mr. Shanmugam argues that if source segregation is enforced at large homes with backyards, as well as in bulk waste generators such as malls, hotels and apartments, nearly one-third of the wet waste now reaching the dumps at Kodungaiyur and Perungudi can instead be processed at micro-composting centres. 'The use of single-use plastics continues in areas like Anderson Street at Broadway, despite the ban imposed by the State government. The manufacturers must be traced and their units closed. Shops must be continuously searched for such items. Furthermore, people can separate plastic of appropriate microns at the source, and this can be recycled at the Corporation's material recovery facilities. These measures will help to reduce the need for incineration,' he adds. 'The Hyderabad facility produces 600 tonnes of ash. The proposed plant at Kodungaiyur, with a capacity to process 2,100 tonnes of waste, could generate 500 tonnes of ash. Typically, the ash would be dumped in a cement-lined landfill. Even then, harmful leachate and toxins could leak with the course of time, contaminating the soil and possibly the groundwater,' he says. Mohan of the Foundation for Friendly Environment and Medical Awareness says that locating such a project in a socially and economically marginalised area undermines the principles of social justice. The Alliance for Incinerator-Free Chennai has called for immediate cessation of waste dumping near Sathangadu Lake. 'The government is trying to make it out that incineration is the only solution to Chennai's waste crisis. It is untrue. Residents in cities like Pune are managing their waste in their backyards. Even bulk waste generators are adopting decentralised waste management because it is easy and effective, and costs less. It is high time for us to switch to a zero-waste city model,' says D.K. Chythenyen of the Centre for Financial Accountability. Swachh rankings At the July 30 meeting of the Corporation Council, CPI councillor M. Renuka (Ward 42) voiced concern over the risk of pollution from the waste-to-energy plant and the drop in the city's position in the Swachh Bharat ranking. Commissioner J. Kumaragurubaran said there had been a request to improve the ranking of the city and scrap the proposed waste-to-energy plant. He maintained that only initiatives like waste-to-energy could help to manage the city's waste more effectively.
The Hindu
06-08-2025
- The Hindu
Coimbatore Corporation urges public to use Namma Kovai App and helplines to report civic issues
The Coimbatore Corporation has urged the public to report grievances and civic issues through the Namma Kovai mobile application and dedicated phone numbers for each zone. To ensure timely redressal of complaints related to roads, streetlights, garbage collection, and other basic amenities, the Corporation has made available grievance and suggestion registers at all ward offices across the five zones — East, West, North, South, and Central — covering 100 wards in total. Residents can visit the respective ward offices and record their complaints or suggestions in these registers. In addition to visiting ward offices, residents can also use the Namma Kovai mobile app, available for download on Android devices on Google play store, to submit their grievances digitally. Residents can also register complaints by calling the dedicated helpline numbers for each zone: 89258 40945 for East Zone, 89259 75980 for North Zone, 89259 75981 for West Zone, 90430 66114 for South Zone, and 89259 75982 for Central Zone. The Corporation said that steps will be taken to address all complaints promptly.
