Title - Corporation urges public to allow use of waste for railway work

The Corporation and Suchitwa Mission are trying to convince the residents of Kochuveli that a project to be launched in their area, using garbage accumulated in the city as filler material for railway platform work, will bring them no harm.A meeting was convened by Revenue Divisional Officer Mohammad Musthafa on Sunday at the Collectorate, after the residents opposed the bid to transport two loads of garbage to the railway station premises the other day. The project and its benefits were explained in detail by the officials.Deputy Mayor G. Happykumar, Corporation standing committee chairpersons V.S. Padmakumar, Palayam Rajan and Shyam Kumar, Karikkakom councillor S. Suresh Kumar, Vettukkadu councillor Bosco De Silva, Corporation council Opposition Leader Johnson Joseph, Suchitwa Mission Executive Director George Chackacherry and Corporation Health Officer D. Sreekumar were present at the meeting.Representatives of the residents said there were fears among the local people on the probability of garbage polluting the groundwater in the area. They said Kochuveli was already polluted by factories operated there.“We decided to convene this meeting after realising that that there will be public resistance if the project was pursued without addressing the concerns of the local people. The Corporation and the Suchitwa Mission officials have explained that very low amount of organic waste will be used for the project and that it will be properly land-filled and coated with layers of sand, geotextile and plastic to avoid leachate leakage,” Mr. Musthafa said.

However, the residents could not be convinced. They have demanded an assurance from higher officials, including the Minister. Consequently, it has been decided to convene another meeting in the presence of Urban Affairs Minister Manjalamkuzhy Ali on May 22.