T’puram: Kerala State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has ordered the appointment of former chief secretary S M Vijayanand as special rapporteur-cum-special monitor to examine solid waste management issues in various parts of the city corporation and suggest effective solutions.SHRC chairperson Justice Alexander Thomas issued the order, directing Vijayanand to inspect areas where complaints of large-scale illegal dumping of waste have been reported and submit recommendations for addressing the crisis.Vijayanand, who served for several years as a secretary in the central and state govts, has expertise in decentralised governance and was associated with initiatives including Rajiv Gandhi drinking water mission and ministry of sanitation. He is also credited with expertise in the implementation of Kudumbashree programme.The panel has also appointed subject experts – scientist R Ajaykumar Varma and waste management consultant N Jagajeevan to assist the special rapporteur.The experts have been asked to examine waste management practices at various locations, canals and waterbodies. Specific attention will be given to waste management activities at Pazhavangadi Canal, Thekkanamkara Canal and Amayizhanchan Thodu, and also issues related to cleaning drains across the city.The corporation secretary has been directed to provide the special rapporteur with all information relating to the civic body’s waste management activities, including details of its proposed solid waste management projects. The corporation must also facilitate visits to waste treatment and disposal sites and provide logistical support for data collection, mapping and preparation of the report.The corporation’s public health officer will serve as the liaison officer for the special rapporteur, while the principal director of local self-govt department has been asked to appoint a nodal officer to assist the team.SHRC also directed the authorities to facilitate consultations with the mayor and elected representatives, provide official vehicles for the experts’ field visits, and make available the services of irrigation engineers responsible for the canals. If any drains fall under the jurisdiction of other departments, the officials concerned must also be made available to the team.The district police chief and other police personnel have been directed to extend necessary assistance to the team. The corporation will bear the expenses of meetings convened as part of the special rapporteur’s work.Members of the public and residents’ associations have also been invited to submit their views and suggestions to the special rapporteur through the office of the principal director of the local self-govt department.The Commission will take up the case for further consideration after receiving an interim report from the special rapporteur. Justice Thomas directed that the final report be submitted before Dec 31.The case was registered suo motu by the panel based on newspaper reports. The Commission said the approach was modelled on the practice of the United Nations human rights agencies and the National Human Rights Commission of appointing subject experts as special rapporteurs to examine serious human rights-related issues.
