Kadapra: It has been two months since waste collection in Kadapra panchayat came to a complete halt. Plastic waste gathered by the Haritha Karma Sena from households has now filled the mini-Material Collection Facility (MCF) units in each ward to capacity. With every mini MCF overflowing, plastic waste has begun spilling into waterbodies, canals and stormwater drains.

The last time waste was cleared from these mini units was in April, when the collected garbage was transported to the main MCF unit in Parumala, located in Ward 5. This facility is situated next to a public gas crematorium, a project that began during the tenure of the previous panchayat council and remains unfinished. The path leading to this MCF, which runs adjacent to a network of paddy fields, regularly gets submerged during the monsoon. 

Although the panchayat had earmarked funds about 23 months ago to raise the road level using quarry muck, the work was never carried out. As a result, the transport of plastic waste to the central facility has come to a standstill since the onset of the monsoon, leading to severe overflow at mini MCF units across the panchayat.

With each spell of flooding since May this year, waste from the central MCF has been seen floating in floodwaters, posing health and environmental risks to local residents and commuters. For instance, in May, nearly 50 sacks of garbage were found drifting near the Theveri bridge in Ward 13. Although Haritha Karma Sena workers and local residents managed to retrieve and tie them down in one location, the recent heavy rains and resultant floods set the sacks adrift once again.

Despite repeated complaints, the panchayat has failed to take effective action. On Monday, Ward 13 councillor Jomon Kuruvila lodged formal complaints with the Local Self Government Minister and the District Collector, demanding urgent intervention.

With the waste disposal system in limbo, public anger is mounting. Residents are now demanding that Haritha Karma Sena volunteers not be paid their monthly honorarium until the backlog of accumulated waste is cleared. Though the Pulikezhu Block Panchayat has allotted a waste transport vehicle to he panchayat,  it remains unused.