THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In the past three years, several bylaws were passed by the city corporation. However, these laws pertaining to waste management, parking and other issues concerning the city have been awaiting government approval for some time now. While some of these have been partially implemented with the power the corporation holds, receiving approval will give statutory powers to the corporation in such matters. While more details were sought about certain bylaws, many are still buried in the paperwork of government offices. Here are a few such bylaws.
Waste management
The bylaw proposed decentralised implementation of waste disposal at source and disposal of other non-biodegradable waste through material recovery centres. While this is now implemented at least partially across the city, giving it legal backing would ensure stricter implementation.It also proposed the disposal of construction and demolition waste with the approval of the city corporation. This would prevent the disposal of such waste in water bodies and in public places. According to this bylaw, any person who is found violating the directives proposed for proper waste management can be slapped with a fine. If they fail to pay it, legal action can be taken against them or revenue recovery can be initiated.
However, many suggestions of this bylaw have been implemented in pieces within the corporation limits.
Internship- Apprentice Trainee
Short-staffed is not a fancy term, it is a harsh reality in Thiruvananthapuram Corporation. While the corporation cannot afford to create new posts on one side, its responsibilities and jurisdiction keep on increasing as new problems arise. The corporation passed a bylaw to take in students of professional/ technical or job-oriented courses as either interns or apprentice trainees and deploy them in various sections. Not only will it help various departments of the corporation, but it will also help in giving work experience and skill training to the students. With the education department now mandating internships during studies in various courses, this move could benefit both groups. "We give internships now in some departments, however, not on a massive scale. Only if we get approval from the government can we give them any stipend or make it an organised practice," said a corporation official.
Septage collection
This bylaw aims at managing the disposal of septage and preventing its disposal in water bodies and implementing it would bring septage disposal strictly into the corporation's jurisdiction. The corporation has already started the septage collection programme, in which people can book the collection vehicles through the 'Smart Trivandrum' app and the waste will be collected within 24 hours. However, private disposal of septage in water bodies continues. "We cannot mandate disposal through city corporation at this point. If we get the statutory power for this, we can insist on proper disposal of septage," said an official.
Parking space
No building permits are given if sufficient parking space is not provided. In the case of commercial buildings, they might need more parking space. In such cases, they rent a nearby private lot and set a fee. Setting up a parking lot in a private plot and collecting fee for it, however, is not strictly legal. The amount collected also varies from place to place. The corporation passed a bylaw which would bring all such spaces under them and would require registration. If implemented, it would also mean that these spaces will all have to collect the fee fixed by the corporation.