Waste dumping: City ward to come under CCTV watch

T'puram: In a move aimed at strengthening surveillance and curbing illegal waste dumping, a 1km stretch in Kannammoola ward will come under CCTV monitoring from Sunday. The initiative, spearheaded by corporation town planning committee chairman and ward councillor Pattoor Radhakrishnan, has led to the installation of 17 high-resolution night-vision CCTV cameras across the area.The project has been launched to address growing concerns over law-and-order issues and the rampant dumping of waste into the Pattom canal that flows through the ward. Residents have long complained about foul smell, unhygienic conditions and the spread of communicable diseases due to the continuous dumping of garbage, including meat waste, into the canal.According to officials, hundreds of bags of waste are being dumped into the canal daily, severely affecting the environment and public health in the locality. The newly installed cameras will monitor the stretch from Gowreesapattom Mahadeva Temple to Swathi Nagar through the ‘S' bend road, covering a distance of nearly 1km.The CCTV network has been set up using corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds provided by South Indian Bank. Authorities expect that continuous surveillance will help identify violators and significantly reduce illegal dumping activities in the temple route and adjoining residential areas.The cameras will be officially switched on by minister K Muraleedharan at a public function scheduled to be held at 5pm on Sunday.Civic authorities said the initiative could serve as a model for other wards facing similar issues related to waste management and public hygiene.