Sixty migrant labourers, employed in a shipping company here, were rescued from an unauthorised ‘shelter’ in unsanitary conditions at Diraviam Rathnam Nagar on Wednesday.
While carrying out anti-dengue measures, domestic mosquito breeding checkers noticed the shelter, which was totally unfit for living and seemed to be a potential hotspot for vector-borne diseases.
The officials served notice thrice asking the inmates, mostly north Indians, to vacate the shelter, but they did not vacate the place.
Hence, on the orders of Commissioner and Special Officer of Thoothukudi Corporation K. Rajamani, they sealed the shelter, and imposed a fine of ₹50,000 on a person, who employed the migrant labourers, under the Tamil Nadu Public Health Act, 1939.
The shelter had only three toilets, which were unclean. Water was stored in open containers in the shelter, City Health Officer Pradeep V. Krishnakumar told The Hindu .
After evacuating the inmates, the Corporation staff cleaned the soak pits using a sullage tanker. Bleaching powder was poured into the open containers, which were also disinfected, he added.
