Kerala CM to convene meeting to discuss garbage accumulation in city canal

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has convened an emergency meeting to discuss the steps to be taken to address the issues and concerns of the accumulation of waste and filth in a canal here, where a sanitation worker drowned recently.

The meeting would discuss the measures to be taken on various problems being caused by the accumulation of garbage in the part of Aamayizhanjaan canal that passes under the Thiruvananthapuram Central Railway station, a CMO statement said.

The meeting, scheduled for Thursday, is to be held amidst a blame game between various government agencies and the Railway authorities over the death of Joy, a temporary sanitation worker who had gone missing in the waste-filled canal while engaged in cleaning work on Saturday.

The online meeting would be attended by Ministers of various departments, including local self-government, labour, food and civil supplies, water resources, public works, and so on, as well as MLAs and the city Corporation Mayor, the statement said.

Besides them, Chief Secretary V Venu, other higher officials, and railway divisional manager here would also attend the meeting.

The accumulation of garbage in the area is blocking the flow of water and causing waterlogging in and around Thampanoor, where the Railway station and the bus stand are located.

The CMO statement further said that the meeting was convened in view of grave health concerns posed by the accumulation of waste in the respective area.

Joy, a temporary cleaning worker employed by a Railway contractor, went missing while clearing the waste-filled canal criss-crossing through the heart of the capital city on Saturday.

His body was found in another area of the canal by sanitation workers of the city Corporation on Monday morning.

The state government authorities had criticised the Southern Railway for allegedly refusing to cooperate with the Thiruvananthapuram City Corporation in cleaning the canal.

In a statement, the Thiruvananthapuram Division of the Southern Railway had rejected the charges and claimed that the waste generated during passenger handling is properly cleared from the station.