Kochi tightens biomedical waste subsidy as political tensions flare

Kochi’s most vulnerable residents are about to feel the pinch of a new biomedical waste policy. Starting later this month, the city corporation will dramatically scale back subsidies for waste collection—a move that has sparked immediate pushback from political opponents and left officials scrambling to verify who still qualifies for help.

Who pays what now

Under the revised structure, most households and facilities will pay ₹20 per kilogram plus GST for biomedical waste collection. Only exempted categories—including the bedridden, extremely poor, and palliative care patients—will access the subsidized rate of ₹12 per kilogram. That means the corporation’s own contribution drops sharply to just ₹8, down from ₹28 until July.

Commercial establishments face an even steeper price: ₹45 per kilogram.

A fractured system

The changes arrive amid a broader shakeup in how Kochi handles its medical waste. Since last month, Success Projects—a subsidiary of Raidco Kerala Limited—has taken over as the sole collector, operating two incinerators at Brahmapuram. Private operators Aakri and Suchigo are out, and incineration at Kerala Enviro Infrastructure Limited has stopped.

“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,” — Health standing committee chairperson Seena Gokulan

But the corporation hasn’t finalized how to check subsidy applications. Gokulan points fingers at the Left Democratic Front, accusing them of disrupting the last council meeting before the matter could be settled.

Doorstep collection begins

In another operational shift, Success Projects will now collect waste directly from homes instead of relying on ward-level collection points. Those centralized drives, originally meant to tackle backlogs, now only happen at councillors’ request—mainly to prevent dumping from outside city limits.

Company sources say they’re waiting for a clear list of eligible beneficiaries before starting non-subsidized collections. For now, waste is still being picked up at subsidized rates.

But frustration is brewing. “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,” one source admitted. They hope that once the beneficiary list is set, collection will follow a strict circle-wise schedule through the My Kochi app.

Opposition cries foul

LDF parliamentary party leader V.A. Sreejith doesn’t hold back. He claims collection remains disrupted and that Success Projects lacks the infrastructure to do the job properly—forcing the corporation to lend its own vehicles. “The UDF council is acting arrogantly, emboldened by its majority,” he said.

It’s a messy, emotionally charged transition for a city trying to balance public health, fiscal responsibility, and political rivalry—all while hazardous waste keeps piling up.