The Kochi Corporation council meeting on Thursday witnessed heated exchanges between the opposition Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) councillors over mosquito eradication, the stray dog menace, and the state of waste management systems.

LDF parliamentary leader V. A. Sreejith, citing media reports on the rise in dengue cases, accused the Corporation of failing to tackle the mosquito menace. He took aim at the 50-day action plan announced by the UDF soon after assuming office, which included vector control measures. Ruling councillor P. V. Chandran countered, questioning the credibility of the data behind the claim of soaring dengue cases. He argued that, officially, the number of cases was comparatively lower than last year.

LDF councillor K. J. Basil raised concerns about the severity of the stray dog menace, especially in West Kochi. “Unless immediate intervention is made, people will soon start handling strays and councillors alike,” he warned. The opposition alleged that the situation had progressively worsened, pointing to the complete failure of the Corporation’s Animal Birth Control programme.

Welfare standing committee chairperson Antony Painuthara attributed the worsening stray dog problem to increasing instances of feeding strays in public places. “While not blaming animal lovers, this practice is the main reason strays from even other local bodies cross over into Corporation limits,” he said.

LDF councillor S. Sasikala criticised the disruption of systematic waste collection, which she said had been normalised during the previous LDF council. “A request for the collection of waste was turned down citing the absence of a driver,” she noted.

UDF councillor Henry Austin, however, argued that the previous LDF council had saddled the Corporation with unfeasible waste management systems, draining nearly ₹24 crore annually. “The CBG (compressed biogas) plant, meant to treat 150 tonnes of waste, is a failure, barely handling 50 tonnes a day. The Black Soldier Fly-based treatment facilities cost the Corporation over ₹9 crore annually, while plastic collection expenses amount to ₹75 lakh every month. It is high time to replace this costly waste management system with a more affordable one,” he said.

Published - August 13, 2026 10:22 pm IST