T’puram: A fresh political war of words has erupted over waste management and civic administration in the city corporation, with mayor V V Rajesh accusing the LDF of deliberately creating sanitation issues in the city. The opposition LDF alleged that the BJP-led civic administration has failed to address mounting waste disposal and public health concerns.Addressing the media on Wednesday, Rajesh admitted that the city’s existing waste management system was inadequate. Still, he said the corporation was taking steps to strengthen its infrastructure and adopt scientific waste processing.“The present waste management system is not sufficient, and we are working to make it more effective. Even after six months in office, the opposition has failed to raise any fundamental allegation against corporation’s administration. Instead, the CPM is now trying to create problems deliberately,” Rajesh alleged.The mayor claimed that CPM workers were dumping waste in public places to tarnish the image of the civic body. Referring to a recent incident at Amayizhanjan canal, he alleged that a CPM worker identified as Shameer attempted to dump waste into the canal and assaulted corporation sanitation workers who tried to stop him. Rajesh said the accused had since been arrested by police and alleged that he had close links with senior CPM leaders.He urged the left party not to “betray the people of the city” out of political frustration after losing power in corporation. Rajesh also said the civic body would act in accordance with court directions in connection with councillor R Sugathan and claimed that the corporation was catching an average of 20 stray dogs every day as part of its animal control programme.Meanwhile, reacting sharply to mayor’s remarks, LDF parliamentary party leader S P Deepak on Wednesday questioned whether Rajesh had “lost touch with reality”, alleging that the mayor was attempting to divert attention from the administration’s failures.Deepak said waste had piled up across the city, sanitation services had deteriorated and communicable diseases were on the rise. Instead of answering questions raised by residents, media and opposition, the mayor was making contradictory statements and personally attacking Left leaders, he alleged.The LDF leader claimed that more than half of the corporation’s 563 aerobic bins were damaged, while many of the remaining bins had become unusable due to accumulated waste. Of the city’s 10 biogas plants, only two were functioning, he alleged, adding that plastic waste was accumulating in several parts of the city because waste management contracts had not been renewed or fresh tenders awarded.Deepak also cited recent disease statistics, alleging that cases of dengue, leptospirosis, chikungunya, shigellosis and amoebic meningoencephalitis had increased in recent months. He further accused the corporation of failing to complete pre-monsoon cleaning works, delaying development projects and focusing more on publicity than governance.The exchange comes amid heightened public scrutiny over sanitation, waste disposal and public health in the state capital, with the corporation facing growing pressure to improve scientific waste management and strengthen disease prevention measures during the ongoing monsoon season.
