Kochi: Some of the roads, canals and rivers in the eastern areas of the district like Udayamperoor, Mulanthuruthy and Amballoor panchayats have become dumping yards for waste from slaughterhouses, markets and commercial firms. The Konnoth Puzha passing through several panchayats has been facing a slow death due to dumping of municipal solid waste. Though the Ernakulam district panchayat in association with the district administration and other local bodies proposed schemes to revive the river and to stop dumping waste, nothing has happened.
Meanwhile, district panchayat president Asha Sanil told DC that a comprehensive project would be taken up to clean and revive the river, which connects vast areas.
“The project has been included in the 2016-17 Plan funds and an estimate will be prepared soon. The river has been indiscriminately polluted affecting even the wells and other drinking water sources in the vicinity,” she said.
Residents of the areas are worried over the possibilities of an epidemic outbreak as leachate from huge piles of waste dumped in barren marshy land and roadsides reach the wells and contaminate the entire area. “The problem is grave along the Nadakkavu –
Mulanthuruthy stretch where huge quantities of waste from far off places including the city are being dumped every day. The stray dog menace is also increasing in the area posing a threat to pedestrians and two-wheeler riders,” said Mohan Kumar, a local resident.
Though the Udayamperoor and Mulanthuruthy panchayat authorities and the police have been getting regular complaints, no action has been taken so far. Though the police have proposed installing surveillance cameras with the support of residents’ associations, that plan too has failed to succeed.
