Loads of garbage washed ashore in Kerala after cyclone Tauktae

The high tides from Tauktae cyclone has not only caused extensive damages to houses and boats along the coastal areas of Kerala, but also highlighted the garbage dumbing menace in the sea as loads of plastic garbage, ranging from water bottles to used chappals, were washed ashore.

The issue was mainly felt at cities of Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode. At places where sea wall are set up, the garbage was washed ashore over sea walls along with the high tides and accumulated at the shore. Many people who returned to their houses at Poonthura coastal areas in Thiruvananthapuram found it difficult to enter their houses as the streets towards their residences were filled with the garbage.

Though the corporation authorities and volunteers cleared the streets, the people are concerned that the garbage would return to the sea itself in the due course as the state lacked proper garbage treatment facilities.

A J Vijayan, an expert in issues affecting the coastal areas, said that the garbage issue being faced by the sea was aggravating day by day. Unless effective garbage treatment facilities are set up in cities, the issue would continue to aggravate.

The plastic garbage being disposed at various parts of the city reaches the sea through the canals and rivers. Hence, the garbage issue is mainly felt near estuaries. A few years ago, a voluntary organisation carried out a cleaning drive at some parts of south Kerala and collected around 55,000 kilogram of plastic waste.

Vijayan said that dumping of garbage in the sea was also causing huge inconvenience to fishermen as it was affecting fishing activities and even damaging the fishing nets and engines of boats. On many occasions, the fishing nets would be filled with garbage than fish.