Kottayam: As the rains have gathered momentum, heaps of garbage dumped along the Mukkada-Plachery forest road have begun to seep out, spreading further into the road and the surrounding areas.

Tonnes of waste, packed in gunny bags and plastic covers, now line both sides of the road. With much of it consisting of meat and fish waste, the decomposing refuse has begun to emit a foul stench, forcing even those inside vehicles to cover their noses while passing through.

In October last year, a massive clean-up drive was conducted along a 1.5-kilometre stretch of this road under the initiative of the Mar Chrysostom Foundation, in association with the Forest Department and various voluntary organisations. That campaign successfully removed 21 tonnes of waste. But just eight months later, the area is once again buried under a fresh pile of garbage.

Efforts to curb illegal dumping have been stalled. Though the Foundation identified sponsors and initiated the setup of a CCTV camera network along the road, the uncertainty from the Forest Department’s side on the provision of SIM cards for these cameras has left the project hanging. While pillars for the cameras are already in place, the surveillance system is yet to be activated.

Lack of enforcement
Volunteers involved in the clean-up accuse the Forest Department of laxity in both preventing fresh dumping and tracing the culprits. Despite the growing piles of trash, no deterrents or monitoring mechanisms have been implemented. The waste continues to arrive, and the vehicles used for dumping remain unidentified.

From liquor bottles to bio-medical waste
The types of waste found here are alarming as they include empty liquor bottles, hospital and laboratory waste, construction debris, market refuse, household garbage, used diapers, syringes and vaccine vials etc. Even the gel from damaged sanitary pads has seeped across the road and into the forest.

Threat to water source
The Mukkada-Plachery forest area is home to a pristine water body that retains water even during the harshest summers. For years, this source has been preserved by volunteers and used by travellers passing through the area.

The unbridled dumping of waste, however, has cast a threat over this waterbody as well. Garbage-filled plastic bags are being dumped dangerously close to it while some individuals have begun using the waterbody to wash their vehicles, further contaminating the once-clean water.