Garbage dumping in Kottayam pushes Vennassery–Kochumattam residents to the brink

Erumappetty: Stepping outside without holding their breath has become virtually impossible for the residents of Vennassery and Kochumattam. The culvert on Kochumattam Road has been turned into a dumping ground, with mounds of rotting fish now joining piles of slaughterhouse refuse, used diapers, and decaying food waste. Perpetrators regularly dump this filth under the cover of darkness.

With several natural water sources located in the immediate vicinity of the culvert, the indiscriminate dumping poses a grave public health hazard. Despite repeated complaints from the locals, the authorities have yet to take any meaningful action.

As the monsoon approaches, residents are gripped by fear that rainwater runoff will wash the decaying waste directly into their water sources.

Although the local panchayat had previously installed surveillance cameras in the area, the effort has proved futile. The dumping site at the culvert lies barely 30 meters away, just out of the cameras' view.

Surrounded by dense plantations, the spot allows culprits to go completely unnoticed. The foul stench has become so unbearable that nearby households are forced to keep their front doors and windows bolted shut throughout the day.

Residents are now demanding swift intervention to clear the accumulated filth and put an end to the dumping once and for all.