10-05-2025
Eloor turns old dumping yard into sports ground
Kochi:
Eloor municipality
is all set to inaugurate its first-ever sports ground, a milestone that marks the transformation of Kuzhikandam—from a polluted dumping site into a vibrant public space. The newly constructed turf ground stands on the site of the municipality's former waste dumping yard, which served as the main waste disposal area until years, Kuzhikandam was known for environmental degradation and faced strong protests from residents against the unscientific waste disposal.
Many agitations resulted in police cases against locals. The turning point came in 2015, when the municipal council shut down the dumping yard and introduced scientific waste management reform helped Eloor achieve self-sufficiency in waste treatment, eventually earning it recognition as one of Kerala's model municipalities in solid waste management. In 2021, with P. Rajeev taking charge as the Minister for Law, Industries, and Coir and MLA of Kalamassery, the redevelopment of Kuzhikandam was taken up under the Ambedkar Gramam project."As part of the project, a modern turf groundt was built at a cost of Rs 60 lakh, along with a children's park. The ground will be open daily from 6–8 am and 4–9pm," said municipality chairman AD Rajeev will inaugurate the facility at 5pm on Monday.
