Waste management paralysed in city suburbs

KOCHI: Amidst the allegations made against Mullappilly Ramachandran, the Minister of State for Home Affairs for not utilising the funds for hygienic mission, two persons died of rat fever in Tripunithura.Vasanthan(45) of Adampilly Veedu, a Milma agent, admitted in a private hospital in Ernakulam on last Tuesday died with symptoms of rat fever on Wednesday. On Sunday Sethumadhavan from Chakkinikattu house also died of rat fever.Communicable diseases are increasingly spreading in the city suburbs. Though the situation is alarmingly severe, the concerned authorities are yet to come to  terms with the volatile nature of the crisis.The routine cleaning mission before the onset of monsoon was not done properly, which resulted in the worst condition of the drainage and public places. Moreover with the silent permission of the authorities, toxic waste including the septic tank waste is being dumped near the water bodies and roadside.“In the wee hours of the night three to four loads of septic tank waste is dumped along the side of the newly opened Tripunithura Mini Bypass,” said Shaji, a resident near the new bridge at Mini Bypass. Water bodies are present on both side of the bypass and the waste gets mixed  which results in the rise of waterborne diseases. “We have informed it to the municipal authorities, but though they assured us that they would take necessary steps, they asked us not to inform any media about the matter,” said Shaji.However nothing has been done till date. The persons who are engaged in dumping the septic tank waste are also well armed to defend the locals, said Shaji.Meanwhile contractors engaged in various works including the cleaning of drainage have kept away from the site, complaining of insufficient funds allotted for such works.  This withdrawal of the contractors from cleaning has created a panic situation in the already distorted cleaning mission of the town. In Chottanikkara, similar waste dumpings in the paddy fields and canals is a regular sight. Cases of patients afflicted with waterborne diseases are reported from here. However the Health Department of the local bodies are only drafting plans to create awareness among the people on the symptoms and preventive measures to be taken. No action has been forthcoming from them.