Drivers of fish-transporting vehicles held a demonstration demanding suitable arrangements to dispose waste water from their vehicles along highways in the three coastal districts here on Thursday. Till the administration provides such an arrangement, they should be allowed to dispose the water on road flanks, they urged the government.
Assembled under the banner of the Mangaluru Dhakke Meenu Lorry Chalakara Sangha and the Karavali Karnataka Chalakara Sangha, the drivers said they were being subjected to harassment by the public and various government authorities for letting out waste water along highways.
It is the responsibility of the administration to provide suitable waste water disposal points along the highways and in the absence of the same, they are forced to empty waste water tanks on road flanks, they said.
Fish dealers and boat owners too had suspended their activities in support of the demands from drivers as a result of which Old Bunder wore a deserted look. Later, they submitted a memorandum to the government through the Deputy Commissioner.
Addressing the drivers, Motor Transport and Engineering Workers’ Union (CITU) general secretary Vasantha Achari said fishing has been contributing to the economy in its own way and given employment to thousands of people including drivers.
However, those transporting fish to other places are facing threat to their life. Though waste water tanks 400 of litres capacity have been fitted to the vehicles, they overflow once the capacity is reached, he noted.
Without a proper waste water disposal facility along the highways, drivers are forced to empty the tank at some location and at times waste water spills on roads.
Consequently, drivers are subjected to physical threats by the public and police cases are being booked against them, Mr. Achari said.
As such, the government should call a meeting of all stakeholders to provide waste water disposal facility, particularly in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, and Uttara Kannada, he said.
