Thiruvananthapuram mayor V V Rajesh hits back at CPM criticism over waste and water issues

Thiruvananthapuram: Mayor V V Rajesh on Thursday hit back at criticism from CPM, stating that a party that ruled the corporation for 45 years is now targeting a council that has been in office for just three months.Questioning the previous administration's handling of waste management, the mayor asked what alternative system was put in place during the tenure of V K Prasanth after the closure of Vilappilsala plant. Rajesh asserted that BJP, which governs the largest number of local bodies in the country, does not require lessons on governance. "We have people to guide us," he said. The mayor's response comes a day after Prasanth alleged that the corporation was misleading the public on issues related to waste management and drinking water and expressed readiness for a public debate. Rajesh, in turn, urged Prasanth and minister V Sivankutty to stop what he termed as false propaganda. Addressing concerns raised by former mayors about non-functional water kiosks under the corporation, Rajesh questioned who should be held accountable if such facilities became defunct within months of installation. He also pointed to persistent waterlogging on several Smart City roads, noting that merely signing project bills was not sufficient, especially when many contracts extend up to 10 years. He claimed that unprecedented interventions have been undertaken to ensure drinking water supply in the city. A 24-hour war room has been set up at the corporation, and tanker lorries are being deployed on demand to supply water to residents. He noted that the city still relies on infrastructure designed for a population that existed 30 years ago, stressing that a permanent solution to the drinking water crisis can only be achieved through coordinated efforts between the Centre, state govt, and the corporation. Rajesh pointed out that a proposal to install a booster pump in Kulathoor-Kazhakkoottam region could help ease water shortages. However, he alleged that Kerala Water Authority has not even provided a cost estimate for the project. He further claimed that contractors are reluctant to repair damaged water pipelines due to pending dues to KWA.