Thiruvananthapuram: A clash has erupted between the Railways and the Corporation over the responsibility of removing garbage from the Amayizhanjan canal after Joy, a cleaning worker, went missing. Mayor Arya Rajendran has countered the Southern Railway Divisional Railway Manager's (DRM) statement, asserting that the Corporation had issued a notice to the Railways to clear the waste.
Addressing the media, Mayor Arya Rajendran clarified that the Corporation had not sought permission from the Railways to remove the waste from their property. Instead, a formal notice was issued, urging the Railways to handle the waste removal. The Mayor emphasised that this notice clearly indicated the waste was on Railway property, making it the Railways' responsibility. Multiple reminders were sent following the initial notice.
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In the aftermath of last year's floods, several meetings were convened, involving departmental ministers. However, DRM and Additional Divisional Railway Manager (ADRM) officials did not attend these meetings; only some lower-ranking officers were present. Subsequently, a decision was taken, instructing the City Council Secretary to issue a seven-day notice to the Railways to remove the garbage. According to the Mayor, the Railways eventually began the tender process after repeated queries.
ADRM Viji M R had earlier said that the Railways are not responsible for the waste in the canal, asserting that the garbage flows from the Municipal side. Viji mentioned that the Railways have their own systems for waste removal and that it is primarily the Corporation's duty to manage the garbage. Despite this, Viji noted that the Railways had taken the initiative to clear the canal last year, challenging the state government's claim that permission was not granted for garbage removal. Viji further explained that the corporation had been permitted to remove waste in 2015 and 2018 and that the Railways remain open to granting such permissions.
Published: 14 Jul 2024, 08:58 pm IST
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