In an early morning operation on Friday, the Health wing of the city Corporation nabbed a group which has been dumping waste in canals in the city continuously. The three-member group was caught while attempting to dump waste into the Marappalam canal near the Kuravankonam-Marappalam Road around 3 a.m. The Museum Police have registered a case against Suresh, Joy, and Christeena in this regard. The Health wing also seized the autorickshaw that was used to carry the waste.
False claim
According to Nanthencode health inspector S.S. Minu, who led the crackdown, the group used to collect waste for a fee from houses and commercial establishments in various localities, claiming to be Kudumbashree volunteers deployed by the Corporation. The collected waste was the dumped at various places, including canals in the city. Noticing the constant dumping of waste in the canal, the Health staff along with Kesavadasapuram ward councillor Amsu Vamadevan and Muttada councillor Rinoy T.P., kept vigil on Thursday night in the area, and nabbed the group when they arrived to dump the waste.
‘Illegal collectors’
“Stringent action will be taken against those who pollute waterbodies by dumping waste. Action will also be taken against commercial establishments that hand over waste to illegal collectors,” said Mr. Minu.
The Health wing of the city Corporation has stepped up its drive against those who dump waste in public places, following increasing such instances in recent weeks. The checks against waste dumping had slowed down after the COVID-19 outbreak, as the Health officials were deployed for other work, including implementation of quarantine rules and running of isolation centres.
On flyovers
The Health wing has found that the flyovers in the city are a preferred location for some to regularly dump waste, as there are no CCTV cameras or squads there. According to Health officials, quite a few of those who were caught claimed to be unaware of the facilities opened by the city Corporation for collecting biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste.
