Kochi Corporation to limit subsidised biomedical waste collection from this month amid Opposition protest

The Kochi Corporation is yet to devise a system to verify subsidy applications from eligible categories. | Photo Credit: FILE PHOTO Subsidised collection of biomedical waste in Kochi Corporation is set to be restricted to select eligible categories, marking a departure from the current universal subsidy. The new system will come into effect later this month.Under the revised arrangement, all except the exempted categories will have to pay ₹20 (plus GST) per kilogram, while the subsidised rate will be ₹12 per kilogram. This effectively reduces the Corporation’s subsidy component to ₹8 per kilogram from the earlier ₹28 until July. Commercial establishments will be charged ₹45 per kilogram.Since last month, Success Projects, a subsidiary of Raidco Kerala Limited, which operates two biomedical waste incinerators at Brahmapuram, has been solely engaged in the collection of biomedical waste. Private operators Aakri and Suchigo are no longer part of the Corporation’s service network, while incineration of waste at the Kerala Enviro Infrastructure Limited (KEIL), the Ambalamugal-based agency, has also ceased. The Corporation had been paying ₹38 (plus GST) per kilogram for treatment at KEIL, which had sought a further hike after September.The Corporation, however, is yet to devise a system to verify subsidy applications from eligible categories. Health standing committee chairperson Seena Gokulan blamed the Left Democratic Front (LDF) for disrupting the last council meeting before the matter could be discussed. “We have not yet received any applications for subsidy. The plan is to restrict it to selected categories such as the bedridden, the extremely poor, patients in palliative care, and those certified by medical professionals,” she said.Doorstep collectionThe Corporation has directed Success Projects to begin doorstep collection of waste instead of ward-level drives, which involved collection from designated points. Such drives, originally introduced to clear backlogs, are now restricted to councillors’ requests, given the risk of biomedical waste being dumped at these points from outside Corporation limits, Ms. Gokulan said.Company sources expressed hope of receiving a comprehensive ward level list of eligible beneficiaries before shifting to non-subsidised collection. At present, waste continues to be collected at the subsidised rate. “Private operators are charging inflated rates of up to ₹55 per kilogram even from those who have registered with us, leaving us to face the blame. Once the beneficiary list is finalised, we will adhere to a circle-wise calendar for collection, strictly through the My Kochi application,” they said, adding that neighbouring municipalities have no subsidised system, with private operators charging at will.Meanwhile, the LDF is preparing to mount a strong protest against what it terms a unilateral decision to withdraw subsidies at the council meeting scheduled for Thursday (September 10, 2026). “Collection remains disrupted, and the company engaged lacks adequate infrastructure, forcing the Corporation to allot its own vehicles. The UDF council is acting arrogantly, emboldened by its majority,” said V.A. Sreejith, LDF parliamentary party leader. Published - September 09, 2026 04:31 pm IST