Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) councillor R. Sreelekha has asked the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation’s health wing to move the dry waste collection hub in front of her office at Sasthamangalam. The hub, active for over eight years, collects glass, plastic, cloth, tin, paper, old shoes, and bags. It has been popular with local residents. Ms. Sreelekha’s office shares building space with the Corporation’s health circle office, which manages local waste. Previously, Communist Party of India (Marxist) MLA V.K. Prasanth worked from this building but recently shifted to Maruthankuzhy to settle a dispute after the councillor raised her demand. The councillor told The Hindu, "I had asked the health inspector to shift it to the larger waste collection hub at Maruthankuzhy. Since the larger bins are located by the footpath, pedestrians have been facing problems. People from not just Vattiyurkavu, but as far as Nedumangad have been dumping waste in these bins. If we shift this to Maruthunkuzhy, this habit of people dumping (waste) here will stop." Local residents near Vellayambalam are unhappy with this move. S. Julie, a city resident, said, "Food and plastic waste are not a problem. Plastic is collected from houses by agencies every week. But for other kinds of waste, including metal, glass, worn-out shoes and old clothes, the bins at Vellayambalam have been a big relief. They are properly segregated and well-maintained. We have been relying on these for years, since they were launched. If they are removed, it will be a challenge for the commoner to take care of their waste responsibly. The collection centres are far away and only take in certain types (of waste) on certain days. I hope the new Corporation officials will consider the concerns of the average city-dweller and keep the bins which have worked very effectively so far." Health officials say over 200 people use this dry waste collection hub daily. The future of the hub now hangs in balance as the city debates the move.