From dumps of rotting fish to narrow roads that see perennial traffic, Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU) warned the district administration of a “crippling” strike in the Old Mangalore Port if a solution was not found to improve the amenities there.
Addressing a press conference, Vasant Achari, District General Secretary of CITU, said with numerous protests and representations on the matter having yielded no result, the organisation was forced to “block all movement of cargo” on the road on November 28.
“The stench in port is unbearable. There is no accountability on either owners of trawlers or corporation officials to clean-up the place. Moreover, hundreds of trucks make their way daily on the narrow roads, leading to stalling of vehicle movement at all times of the day,” he said.
With no parking facilities at the old port for either trucks or other vehicles, the entire area was chaotic, he said. The organisation demanded that the district administration implement traffic rules similar to what is being followed in Central Market, where trucks can only load or unload at early hours of the day or late in the night, said Mr. Achari.
Another issue highlighted by the organisation is the disposal of small fish meant for crushing into fertiliser or animal feed. “Trucks can take about 30 loads a day, but nearly 1,000 loads are dumped in the port. These loads remain there for months. There is a nexus between officials and owners there,” he said.
During their protest on November 28, CITU will demand that owners be penalised if their stock is not unloaded out of the dock on the same day, and to make it imperative for owners to clean up the area after their stock is removed.
