Southern Railway has swung into action in the wake of complaints that a pile of garbage has been lying uncleared for weeks near the Kochiveli railway station premises, posing a serious threat to public health.
A private outfit called Save Wetlands International Movement (SWIM), Thiruvananthapuram, has brought the issue to the attention of Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw about the solid waste being dumped in the open at Kochuveli Railway Station premises, forcing the Southern Railway to take urgent measures to remove the waste.
Railway’s response
In a letter addressed to Thomas Lawrence, CEO of SWIM, the Southern Railway has informed that the garbage generated from trains were not cleared for a short period at Kochuveli coaching depot, by the designated contractor, resulting in accumulation of waste for a while. However, prompt action was taken to ensure that accumulated garbage is accounted for, properly secured and covered till the disposals are done as per the norms, the Railway said.
Further, the contractor has been asked to make alternative arrangements for disposals. Accordingly, a quantity of 287 cubic metre of garbage was disposed on July 24 and 25. The remaining quantity has also been under segregation at the site by an approved agency since August 12, for which the designated contractor has already made an agreement. “Garbage will be cleared within two weeks. Further, a fully equipped material recovery facility is under construction at Kochuveli yard and is expected to be ready by November,” said the Railway.
Sanitation worker’s death
The recent drowning of N. Joy, a sanitation worker, in the garbage-filled Amayizhanjan Canal in the city has galvanised civil society groups into action. In its complaint to the Union Minister, the SWIM has said that solid waste, including plastics from the trains, has remained accumulated on the side of the Kochuveli railway station for several months. On an average, one tonne solid waste is generated at the station. Open dumping of waste during rainy season has turned the yard into a “mosquito breeding ground’, causing several airborne pathogens and vector-borne diseases putting the local communities and railway passengers in very ‘grave danger’.
Further, there were also reported attempts by the Railway to bury a considerable portion of plastic wastes in a private landfill near Kochuveli station, raising the threat of major health hazards and pollution. Such actions can disrupt ground water recharge mechanism completely, contaminating wells in the area. The seepage of contaminated water to the nearby Veli-Akkulam lake will also affect the marine life and the avian fauna as the lake is connected to Arabian sea, it said.
Further, the open dumping of solid waste collected from the trains and littered all over the Kochuveli Railway Station premises has attracted several birds to the region to feed on this garbage, posing threat to aircraft since this open dump yard area is hardly 50 m away from Airport Reference Point (ARP) of the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport and in the take off funnel of the airport, the outfit pointed out.
