The ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) disagreed over what to do with the Kochi Corporation’s surplus land at Brahmapuram.

Addressing the Corporation council meeting on Thursday, Mayor M. Anilkumar observed that numerous projects had been conceived at Brahmapuram as part of the master plan, and that handing over the land to the government to execute the projects would absolve the Corporation of huge financial liability. However, the Opposition struck the position that no land belonging to the Corporation should be alienated.

Around 50 acres remain unused at Brahmapuram. The government bought 100 acres for the Corporation for ₹100 crore, which is being deducted from the annual plan fund. Mr. Anilkumar warned that it would remain a major liability for successive councils unless the land was handed over to the government to execute the projects.

‘Waste-free city’

A mission to declare the city waste-free has been launched. Mr. Anilkumar directed the Corporation secretary to take emergency steps to meet the deadline. He warned that if the declaration was delayed beyond two months, it would be perceived as a failure on the part of the officials, including the secretary, and that it would be reported to the government.

The Mayor called for resolving unscientific waste disposal at resource recovery facilities, which, he said, was defeating the Corporation’s waste management campaign. He said a ₹5-crore proposal was being mooted to remove waste from the Fort Kochi beach.

The Opposition said that declaring the city waste-free was not something to be done for its sake but only after the city was cleaned up. A lot more needs to be done. The Opposition councillors complained that officials were not cooperating with several good projects to make the city waste-free. They called for an effective awareness campaign on waste management and an action plan to make it a success.