Kerala High Court Asks State To Publicize Facility That Alerts Local Authorities When Citizens Report Waste Dumping Via WhatsApp

The Kerala High Court on Thursday (November 13) directed the State government and local authorities to take steps to inform the public about the facility that permits citizens to alert local authorities via WhatsApp, regarding waste being dumped in any area in the State.The direction was issued by the Division Bench comprising Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas and Justice Gopinath P., which was specially constituted to monitor waste management in the State in a suo motu petition initiated in the aftermath of the Brahmapuram fire.When the matter was taken up today, the Special Secretary to the Local Self Government Department, Smt. Anupama T.V. informed the Court about the facility created by the government.“We have a WhatsApp number 9446700800…when the public click and send it, there is a system to immediately clear it. You can click a photo and send it and the geographical location will also be automatically shared. You will get a prompt to share the location so the geo-coordinates will be going to the concerned local body. You can click it anywhere in the State and it will go to the concerned local body. We will ask the entire team to work on it so that the response is faster…,” informed Anupama T.V.On hearing the submission, the Court observed:“Special Secretary to the local authority informed us that a WhatsApp number has been created by the government for transmitting appropriate information along with photographs/small videos/text intimating the dumping of waste in any area within the State. The said number is mentioned as 9446700800. Appropriate steps shall be taken by the local authorities/state government to communicate the existence of this facility to the public.”During the proceedings today, the Court also referred to an article dated 26.10.2025 that appeared in the Hindu daily, which showed photographs of the canal blocked with plastic waste near the KSRTC bus stand in Ernakulam. Noting that there was a dispute between the local body and the Railways regarding which entity had the responsibility to clear the waste, the Court felt that it should be the local body, Cochin Corporation that should bear the same. It added to its interim order:“Since the Railways contend that the waste is going into the culvert from the city areas, and the Railways are kept grilled to prevent the waste to go into Railway property, we deem it appropriate to issue a direction to clear the said waste without delay. We have also come across the instances where the areas in Cochin Corporation are still filled with waste of various kind and the same is not being removed regularly. We deem it appropriate to issue direction in this regard also. Accordingly, there will be a direction to the Secretary of the Cochin Corporation to initiate appropriate measures to clear the canal clogged with plastic waste near the KSRTC bus stand within a period of two weeks.” It also directed the Corporation to clear wastes in other areas also, particularly on the sides of the road in the Kochi-Panvel Highway from BOT bridge to Alexander Parambithara bridge.“There shall also be a direction to clear the entire waste from the area known as the Kochi-Panvel Highway on either side of the road from BOT bridge to Alexander Parambithara bridge. There will be a further direction to clear the waste that has accumulated under the Railway Overbridge on the Mannamthuruthichira road near Kochukadavanthra where the waste had been identified as having not been removed for the last few months. Report regarding the removal of the waste shall be filed by the Corporation before the next posting.”Thereafter, the Special Secretary informed the Court that she received information that waste has been removed from the area mentioned in the Hindu article and that she shall verify regarding the same.Thereupon, the Court orally told her, “Secretary, I think you have to issue orders to local self-governments to clear wastes… This is not only with respect to Cochin Corporation. This has to trickle down to all the local authorities.”In the previous hearing, the Bench had orally suggested the State government to dedicate a portion of Rs. 22 crores fine collected to start an awareness campaign, through use of social media, to reach all generations regarding responsible waste disposal.However, today, the Government Pleader submitted that contrary to what was submitted earlier, the actual fine amount collected was only Rs. 11 crores. The Special Secretary submitted that an amount of Rs. 5.8 crores have already been spent for IEC activities from April to November and an amount of Rs. 15 crores have been earmarked for various projects, including the Green Protocol.But the Court felt that its suggestion in the last hearing for reel campaign was not something that would incur much expenditure. It also indicated that major celebrities would be inclined to participate in the same pro bono and this would have more public reach than any other measure. The Special Secretary then orally...

Kerala High Court Asks State To Publicize Facility That Alerts Local Authorities When Citizens Report Waste Dumping Via WhatsApp

K. Salma Jennath

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