Despite a direction from Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy to the police to contain the nuisance of wastewater spillage from fish-carrying goods vehicles along the coast, the menace continues unabated posing numerous issues to residents.
A foul smell greets those travelling on National Highway 66 that passes along the Karnataka coast as well as interior roads in the cities where these fish trucks ply. These road surfaces are covered with wastewater that makes them slippery.
Residents of Mangaluru, particularly in the southern parts of the city, have time and again raised this concern but in vain.
Fish-laden vehicles from Mangaluru fishing harbour pass through Mangaladevi Road and Morgan’s Gate on their way to Kerala spilling wastewater throughout.
Mr. Reddy, during his visit to Mangaluru on September 21, had asked the Inspector-General of Police (Western Range) who supervises Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Uttara Kannada and Chikkamagaluru districts, and the Mangaluru City Police Commissioner to implement measures to prevent the nuisance. He had asked the officers to enforce the rules after creating awareness at fish loading points.
The directions however are not being followed, regretted Yogesh Kumar, a resident of Jeppu in the city. He said two-wheeler riders are the affected lot as they are at the risk of their vehicles skidding on such roads. The odour continues to affect passersby through the day, he said.
Different story in Kerala
Shashank, a resident of Thokkottu, said trucks carrying fish are fitted with wastewater tanks, outlets of which can be closed to prevent spillage of this water. However, there are many mini goods vehicles — both four-wheelers and three-wheelers — which do not have wastewater tanks and spill this water continuously, he said.
He noted that parts of the carriageway on the National Highway on which fish-laden vehicles regularly ply have turned blackish following this continued spillage of wastewater.
Ice is abundantly used to transport fish from fishing harbours to prevent rotting and en-route melted ice along with fluids from fish can be found spilled on the roads.
Once entering Kerala after crossing Talapady, the vehicle operators promptly close the tap of wastewater tank since Kerala strictly enforces the rules against creating such nuisance, Mr. Shashank added.
