Rights' panel orders installation of cameras to curb waste dumping in Amayizhanchan canal

Thiruvananthapuram: The State Human Rights Commission has directed authorities to install surveillance cameras at key points along the Amayizhanchan canal to prevent the dumping of waste. SHRC chairperson Justice Alexander Thomas ordered that footage from the cameras be monitored by officials of the municipal corporation’s health wing. The directive was issued in a suo motu case taken up by the commission over waste being dumped into the canal.

The order was based on a report submitted by the commission’s chief investigation officer after hearing the concerned government agencies. The commission also instructed that the night health squad’s operations be intensified and that police personnel be deployed to assist them.

In July 2024, Joy, a 47-year-old contract sanitation worker, died after being swept away while cleaning the heavily polluted canal. In January 2026, the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation commissioned an AI-powered robotic canal-cleaning system at the same site, eliminating the need for hazardous manual work.

The SHRC also asked authorities to examine the Railways’ proposal to lower the metal grating at the point where the canal enters the Thampanoor railway section. The Deputy Collector (Disaster Management) has been directed to take a practical decision on the daily removal of waste near the grating after discussions with the Railways and the Major Irrigation Department.

Additionally, the SHRC called for steps, in coordination with the Suchitwa Mission, to set up an effluent treatment plant at the KSRTC Thampanoor central bus depot. The Suchitwa Mission is a state government initiative aimed at promoting sanitation and sustainable waste management practices across Kerala.