The Kochi Corporation has failed to recognise waste treatment as a business opportunity. It must take a cue from cities like Indore on waste management, former Union Urban Development Secretary M. Ramachandran said here on Saturday.
As producers of waste, people ought to know what happens to it and where it ends up. Cities like Indore see waste treatment as a business opportunity, he said while speaking at a panel discussion on ‘Urbanisation in Kerala: How is the State evolving and what are the challenges’, organise by the Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR).
Referring to high levels of education and civic engagement of most Keralites, Mr. Ramachandran expressed concern at the State still not establishing itself as a frontrunner in providing effective urban governance to its citizens. “We still have not figured out what to do with waste generated in Kochi city, despite all the discussions that have been taking place. The lack of revenue-generation alternatives for urban local bodies (ULBs) in Kerala is the reason for their inability to leverage their local services. They must tap into alternative sources of revenue generation, from waste management, advertising, and parking policies, leveraging their financial autonomy,” he said.
