THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
Kerala’s proactive approach to tackle illegal waste dumping through a dedicated WhatsApp helpline (9446700800) has yielded impressive results. In just one year, the Local Self-Governments department has issued fines amounting to a staggering ₹61.48 lakh based on public reports. This initiative not only penalizes offenders but also rewards vigilant citizens, with ₹1.29 lakh distributed to individuals who provided concrete evidence of violations. Furthermore, 63 prosecution cases have been initiated as a direct consequence of these public tips.
While the overall fines for waste dumping across the state reached ₹11.01 crore in the past year, the complaints received via WhatsApp accounted for a significant 5.58% of this total. M.B. Rajesh, the Minister for Local Self-Governments, emphasized that this innovative program has successfully fostered increased public vigilance and effective monitoring of waste disposal practices across Kerala.
The Power of Public Information
Out of 12,265 complaints submitted through the WhatsApp number, a substantial 7,912 contained accurate and actionable information. Authorities successfully took action on 7,362 of these complaints. For instances where no specific dumpers could be identified, the complaint was resolved by promptly clearing the illegally dumped waste from the affected areas. Investigations are currently ongoing for the remaining 550 complaints.
The districts of Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam recorded the highest number of violations reported through the WhatsApp service, with 2,100 and 2,028 complaints respectively. In contrast, Wayanad district reported the fewest violations, with 155 cases.