Local bodies have money, but garbage floats around

ALAPPUZHA: Local bodies in the district have enough funds, but can't set up waste treatment plants made mandatory by the Panchayati Raj and Nagarapalika Acts.
The reason? No one wants a waste treatment plant in their neighbourhood, though they frown at garbage dumped in canals and roadsides.
District panchayat president Pratibha Hari said all local bodies in the district have adequate funds, but moves to acquire land to set up the plants were opposed.
"If we try to acquire land for this purpose, local residents will hit the streets in protest. So now there is no move from the part of the local bodies for setting up the waste treatment plant," she said.
With repeated attempts failing, the district panchayat was now pinning its hope on the state government. "The government should come forward with a permanent solution for the waste management issues of the local bodies,'' Pratibha said.
Earlier, the Defence Research and Development Establishment had offered to set up a waste treatment plant for Cherthala municipality. The establishment dropped the plan following the municipality's failure in finding land.
The Alappuzha municipality's Rs 3.34-crore treatment plant at Mararikkulam, meanwhile, has been remaining shut due to protests from local residents.
With no means to dispose of garbage, people have been dumping waste in canals, ponds, other water bodies and on roadsides.
"There is a canal near to our house. We are now finding it difficult as people, who operate shops and hotels, are dumping waste in this canal, '' said Murukadas, a resident of Haripad.