Question Time - Polluting vehicles run riot on roads

There used to be strict checking and monitoring on emission in vehicles, which affects the health of people. But of late, it seems, this has been discontinued. I can regularly see trucks, autos and buses that emit thick smoke beyond the permissible levels. Will the authorities be able to check the menace?

--Elizabeth.V., Kochi .

Police Commissioner K.G. James:

It is mandatory for every vehicle owner to carry a valid Pollution Control Certificate and maintain the vehicle in adherence with the prescribed emission norms as per the Central Motor Vehicles Act. We have been taking action against those who do not possess valid certificate. Even though we will intensify checking, the necessity of the certificate will be emphasised in the periodic traffic awareness campaigns organised as part of traffic safety exercise.

There is a mobile phone tower at the north side of K.R. John Road, Moolamkuzhy, near Fort Kochi. How the mobile phone company managed to get the permission to put up the tower in a densely populated locality can only be guessed. Garbage is also piled up at the mouth of a vacant plot and is a sore sight for the people who take this road, not to talk of the stink. There should be a regulation that all vacant phots should be fenced to reduce dumping at such sites.

--Christopher Antony, Moolamkuzhy .

Mayor Tony Chammany:

The Kochi Corporation grants permission to erect mobile towers in public places by checking the strength of the building as per the prescribed norms mentioned in the Building Rules Act. All other aspects such as the density of population, impact on public health etc are looked into by other government departments and not the Corporation.

With regard to the dumping of garbage on the vacant plot, I had inquired about it with the officer concerned. The officer discussed the issue with the owner of the private land and an agreement has been arrived at to fence the plot immediately. Waste dumped there already will be removed soon and there will be strict vigil so that no further dumping takes place. I urge you all to take a proactive role in preventing such indiscreet dumping of waste. Every individual, institution and household should work consciously to reduce the quantum of waste generated. It is also very important that waste generated is segregated properly before it is sent to the collection points. Unfortunately many of us still have the “not-in-my-backyard syndrome”.

After registering for National Population Register Card, the enrolment numbers in the receipt given to my family are not clear due to poor quality of printing. Because of that I am not in a position to check the status of the card. When I approached the Akshaya centre they also expressed their helplessness. Is there any way to get the enrolment number to check the status of card?

--T.M. Anil, Vennala.

District Collector Sheikh Pareeth:

It has come to the notice of the administration that in certain cases people have not been able to get enrolment numbers after registration for Aadhar/NPR Card. Those who have not received numbers due to various reasons are advised to wait for a few days as we are sorting out the technical issues in this regard. They should keep the original receipt given at the time of enrolment for verification, if needed. For this particular case, there is no need for going for re-registration.

Compiled by K.K. Sankaran