Andhra Pradesh - Vijayawada   

Pathapadu villagers firm against dumping

VIJAYAWADA: The villagers of Pathapadu panchayat are gearing up to register their disapproval of dumping of municipal solid waste in a land that is under their panchayat limits.

The Chetta Taralimpu Vyatireka Udyama Committee members took up a signature campaign on Saturday. The committee members are collecting signatures, as a documentary evidence to prove that all the villagers were opposing the dumping of municipal refuse in their village limits. The campaign is on in villages including Pathapadu, Apparaopeta, Mangalapuram and Sitaramapuram, said committee secretary Bezawada Nageswara Rao.

More than 1,000 people will pay a visit to the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) on Wednesday to submit a memorandum to Municipal Commissioner P. S. Pradyumna. The committee was arranging transportation such as tractors and buses from the villages to the VMC office, he said, adding, “We are planning to submit the memorandum en masse. This is a departure from usual practice of submitting memorandum by leaders, as we wanted to prove that all villagers are vehemently opposing the dumping.”

Mr. Nageswara Rao said they were planning to submit a petition to the High Court along with original copy of signatures. All issues pertaining to Pathapadu would be brought to the notice of the High Court, including a notice served on committee president Kondeti Peda Venkata Ratnam. The VMC served a notice on Mr. Venkata Ratnam, who is actively involved in the campaign against the dumping yard, for running a mechanic shed. The VMC officials say that he was running mechanic shed without permission, and were about to seize it. But, Mr. Venkata Ratnam had closed it voluntarily in protest against the corporation’s vindictive attitude, he said.

The Pathapadu panchayat members are planning to serve a notice on panchayat secretary to convene an emergency meeting under Panchayati Raj Act. The act says that the secretary should convene a meeting if three-fourths of its members sign the notice, he said, adding, “The members are serving notice, as the president is not in favour of convening the meeting.”

The VMC had organised a joint meeting with Mayor Mallika Begum, floor leaders in the VMC general body and Pathapadu panchayat members on Thursday last. The meeting was aimed at resolving the Pathapadu dumping yard problem, which took an ugly turn when some villagers, who were protesting against dumping of waste in their village, were arrested recently. Deputy Mayor Samanthapudi Narasaraju explained to the Pathapadu panchayat members the facilities that would be provided by the corporation for allowing the dumping of municipal refuse in village limits. At a meeting, it was decided to hold a meeting once again on Wednesday.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Tadepalligudem to host chess tourney
Career-conscious women chant fitness mantra
Fillip to distance mode of education
Focus on completion of works atop Indrakeeladri
They sacrifice their Deepavali joy to ensure safety of others
Lorry destroyed in fire
Stone laid for underground drainage works
‘Blend business acumen and social responsibility’
Pathapadu villagers firm against dumping
Vijayawada Today

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu