Kerala High Court urges municipal body to use Instagram to campaign against waste dumping

The Kerala High Court today urged the Kochi Municipal Corporation to use Instagram to advertise campaigns to prevent waste dumping in the city. .A Division Bench of Justices Bechu Kurian Thomas and Gopinath P observed that several campaigns have achieved greater reach and success by using Instagram and suggested that the Corporation do the same. "The Corporation has to do something to raise awareness among people to about the importance of maintaining hygiene and disposing of waste properly...The Corporation can think of having an Instagram page dedicated to advertising a campaign to prevent waste dumping... Even companies are indulging in Instagram ads. I know companies that are marketing their goods only through Instagram and their sales reach extremely high figures. Low cost but excellent ouput," Justice Thomas orally remarked. The Bench also suggested that city councillors use their Whatsapp groups to raise awareness about proper waste disposal..Another notable development from today's hearing was the Bench's remarks regarding the lack of sewage treatment facilities at the Kerala High Court Advocates' Association's (KHCAA's) chamber complex"We understand that the association chamber complex has the most dysfunctional sewage treatment plant. Despite several notices being issued by the High Court, they have ignored them. The Association is maintaining the chambers where sewage treatment is not being done properly," the Bench remarked. .Justice Gopinath said that the issue came to their notice when a committee that they are part of, looked into the possibility of opening up a gate to the High Court building which is adjacent to the KHCAA chamber complex. "We wanted to open the old judges gate adjacent to it which is completely closed now. We were told sir, please don't even go there. Because there is so much overflow there from the advocates association chamber complex, please don't go anywhere near it," Justice Gopinath observed orally. The Bench said that it is considering impleading both the High Court of Kerala as well as the KHCAA in the case. It also orally directed the Standing Counsel of the Kerala State Pollution Control Board to inspect the sewage treatment facilities at the chamber complex and submit a report. The judges also stressed on the need to not just set up sewage treatment facilities but to also to ensure its maintenance..The Court was dealing with a suo motu case initiated by it in 2023 to monitor waste disposal in Kochi after a fire broke out at the Brahmapuram garbage dump and waste plant.The toxic fumes had caused a drastic dip in the air quality in Kochi and raised larger concerns about the inefficient waste disposal process in the coastal city.The Court had earlier asked the State and municipal authorities to respond on measures taken for better waste disposal and to avoid such incidents in the future.The Railways ministry was later impleaded in the matter in view of the Court's decision to examine the situation at Amayizhanjan canal which runs near the Thiruvananthapuram Central Railway Station after the tragic death of a sanitation worker who was tasked with cleaning the canal. .During the hearing today, the Bench enquired about the status of a suggestion to start a plastic buyback project. The judges opined that citizens need to be given some kind of incentive to collect and deposit clean plastic waste at dedicated collection spot. They suggested that the government choose a local government area to implement such a system as a pilot project. The Court further said that when it comes to waste dumping and sewage treatments by apartment complexes, consequences, especially of a monetary nature, need to be imposed on residential associations that flout rules. Notably, the Court remarked that buildings without proper sewage treatment facilities should be slapped with higher taxes. .The discussion on the suggestions put forth today will continue on September 27, when the matter will be taken up next.