Kerala - Kochi   

Drive against plastic intensified

Staff Reporter

Action taken against illegal dumping of waste

KOCHI: The Kochi Corporation has intensified its drive against the use of plastic and illegal dumping of waste in the city.

The civic body renewed its drive against plastic below the thickness of 30 micron on Wednesday. On Thursday, officials seized plastic from as many as 16 shops in the city.

Plastic below the permissible thickness was seized from some chicken stalls, meat vendors and street side vendors. Twelve kg of banned plastic was seized from a shop in the Ernakulam market.

"The civic body plans to intensify the drive," said Deputy Mayor C.K. Manisankar.

Meanwhile, the civic body took into custody 15 vehicles that were found dumping waste illegally in the city in the last two days. The civic authorities directed health inspectors of the Corporation to get tough with the offenders.

Among the vehicles that were impounded was a vehicle fitted with sucker unit that was used to remove toilet waste.

"Several vehicle owners approached me for releasing the vehicles that were taken into custody. However, there will not be any relaxation as far as the fine for vehicles is concerned," Mr. Manisankar said.

The civic body will be slapping fines ranging between Rs.500 and Rs.2,000 on the offenders. The impounded vehicles will be released only after obtaining an affidavit from the vehicle owner that waste will not be dumped on the roads, he said.

The action against the vehicle with sucker unit was taken as such vehicles were reported to be illegally dumping toilet waste at Wellingdon Island at the land owned by the Cochin Port Trust.

It was for the Corporation that the Port Trust gave permission for dumping waste at the site. Several private vehicles also illegally dumped waste at this site.

The port officials prevented the Corporation from dumping waste at the site following complaints that some of the vehicles were leaving garbage along the entrance to the site and private vehicles were unloading toilet waste there.

The port authorities renewed the permission for using the site following the assurance by Mayor Mercy Williams and officials of the civic body that proper care would be taken while dumping garbage and private vehicles would be prevented from using the site.

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