Kochi corp’s vehicles often go ‘missing’, find auditors

Kochi: Auditors have found that a refuse compactor, which costs around Rs 40 lakh, owned by Kochi corporation has been missing since 2023.The refuse compactor, KL 7 CA 7527, was taken to a workshop for repair prior to fitness test on Jan 25, 2023, and as per official records, it was been in the workshop since then. When auditors asked the local body officials to produce the vehicle before the audit team, they were informed that it was “missing”.A refuse compactor is a specialised vehicle that crushes and compresses waste to dramatically reduce its volume, ensuring optimized garbage storage, minimising landfill space. It helps save on transportation costs by fitting more waste into a single haul.A few days ago, corporation found that the vehicle was “abandoned” at the workshop and couldn’t be used anymore, thus wasting Rs 40 lakh within a few years of its purchase.Auditors found it wasn’t an isolated case. They found that 13 refuse compactors have been “abandoned”. Also, corporation has been careless with its fleet of around 200 vehicles, including trucks, cars and jeeps, with poor maintenance and many vehicles lacking insurance.“Nobody in the corporation is accountable when it comes to the operation and maintenance of vehicles owned by the civic body. In 2018, we conducted a search after many of the vehicles owned by the local body reportedly went missing. During the inspection by councillors, many of the vehicles were found abandoned near workshops,” said C K Peter, a former councillor, who was part of the inspection.“We then recommended corporation authorities to ensure proper maintenance of vehicles, besides setting up a workshop and employing a mechanical engineer for the vehicles’ overall management,” Peter added.Meanwhile, corporation authorities are now planning to sell off vehicles that are a financial burden on the civic body due to frequent maintenance. “Poor maintenance of vehicles is a reality. Of the 15 refuse compactor trucks which corporation procured earlier, 13 need frequent maintenance. As refuse compactors are used for waste movement, they require proper cleaning to wash off the leachate which rusts parts of the vehicles. The hydraulic system also needs proper maintenance. Without proper cleaning and maintenance, they are a huge financial burden,” said mayor V K Minimol. “Now, we are planning to sell off such vehicles,” she added.According to auditors, over 60 vehicles, including trucks and cars, didn’t have insurance when they conducted inspections for 2024-25 audit. “Not just refuse compactors, we realised 11 missing pickup autorickshaws are lying in workshops for almost eight years,” said Minimol.INFOFleet of BurdenKochi corp has 30 refuse compactor trucksFirst batch of 15 refuse compactor trucks were bought almost a decade agoCochin Smart Mission Ltd procured the second batch of 15 trucks on Kochi corp’s behalfGarbage or leachate won’t spill onto streets while being transportedPrivate firm entrusted with maintenance and operation of second batch of 15 compactor trucks