In a move that could lead to another face-off with Vattiyoorkavu CPM MLA V K Prasanth after the office row, BJP Sasthamangalam councillor R Sreelekha has raised a demand to shift the dry-waste collection hub, which functions in front of the building, housing the office of the Health Inspector and the Councillor. Sreelekha raised the demand in a letter to the Sasthamangalam Health Inspector on Saturday.

The corporation's health wing confirmed receiving the letter. "She has cited inconvenience in having a waste collection hub near her office. We have been asked to shift the centre to a more suitable place. The file has been forwarded to the Secretary for further action," an official with the corporation's health wing said.

The dry waste collection hub at Sasthamangalam was launched by V K Prasanth in 2019 when he was the city Mayor. Introduced as an innovative model, the hub was built with separate chambers to deposit different kinds of dry waste. It mainly aimed at making the city residents and the floating population responsible of handling the dry waste they generate.

The Thiruvananthapuram corporation had launched the second collection hub near the University College after the one at Sasthamangalam became a huge success. Old clothes, broken glass pieces, plastic, metals, cans, old sandals and paper waste can be deposited in separate chambers in the dry waste collection hub. The staff were deployed for the dry waste collection hub, which was meant to function for 24 hours.

Dry waste collection hubs were envisaged to cater to the needs of people during travel who are otherwise forced to abandon waste in public places. The corporation had also offered attractive prizes for those who deposited dry waste in the hub and uploaded selfies on the smart Trivandrum mobile app. The dry waste collection hub for six different kinds of materials, which was installed at Sasthamangalam, saw two truckloads of materials being carted away in less than a month of its launch. The hub had become a feeder for the material recovery facility at Vattiyoorkavu.

Recently, a row erupted over MLA's office space in Sasthamangalam when Sreelekha requested Prasanth to vacate the office. The matter was settled after the MLA decided to end the controversy and shifted his office to another building at Maruthamkuzhy. In 2022, when the then health standing committee, mulled about closing down the hub, it led to stiff opposition following which the decision was cancelled.

The city corporation's segregation of waste and collection of dry waste was hailed as one of the best practices in the country by the NITI Aayog.

"TMC adopted a sustainable economic model and supported long-term economic growth without adverse social, environmental or cultural impacts on the community. Like biodegradable waste, non-biodegradable waste that is segregated and recyclable is sold. Income is thus generated from proper management of both biodegradable waste and non-biodegradable waste. Revenue is generated from selling recyclables and non-biodegradable waste," NITI Aayog noted in the document.

Onmanorama sought a response from Sreelekha, but she didn't comment.