Despite PC’s Stern WARNING, Vehicles Still Seen Spilling Fish Waste on City Streets!
Despite Police Commissioner Sandeep Patil’s Stern WARNING on Tuesday, Vehicles Still Seen Spilling Fish Waste on City Streets! This morning (Wednesday) Team Mangalorean stood at the road leading from Fish Dakke (Dock at Bunder) towards Rosario Church/Forum Mall road, between 6.30 am till 7.30 am, and nearly 50 vehicles that passed through that route, every one of them were seen spilling fish waste water on the streets, including three big trucks, and the rest tempos and two wheelers hauling fish. And there was not a single cop to crack down on this menace. This will make any one wonder, whether this is kind of a ‘ROCKET SCIENCE’ or what, to be rectified? (Just look at the photos in the article with fish waste water on the road)
Mangaluru : The Fish Waste Water spillage on the City streets by the fish hauling vehicles is not TODAY’s or YESTERDAY’s issue, it has been going on since years- and complaints of the same issue had been pouring during phone-in programme started by then Police Commissioner Chandrashekar, then the same complaints were heard by the next Police Commissioner T R Suresh, and the same complaints still pour in during the present Police Commissioner Sandeep Patil’s phone-in programme. This will make any one wonder, whether this is kind of a ‘ROCKET SCIENCE’ or what, to be rectified?
On Tuesday, 7 May 2019, having given way too many warnings to fish transporting vehicle owners/drivers not to spill fish waste water on the streets, police commissioner Sandeep Patil after receiving complaints of the fish waste-water menace which were routine in the phone-in programme had said to the media he would strictly follow the guidelines laid down by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in its order dated 2 July 2015, and that anyone found discharging of waste water on roads will be slapped with hefty fine followed by seizure of vehicles. The district administration has decided to put an end to the issue of waste water being spilled by vehicles transporting fish and has directed all such vehicles to install waste-water collection tanks.
The Police Commissioner had also said that it has studied the guidelines prescribed by National Green Tribunal (southern zone) to the Kerala government on this issue, and so he also wants to strictly enforce these rules here in Mangaluru and had called a meeting with the fish truck owners where he had explained the rules to the participants in that meeting, and had also instructed to follow the guidelines immediately. The Police which served the notice to the fish transporters on asking them to strictly abide by these rules- Al fish carrying vehicles should be adequately insulated and made leak proof; The fish should be transported in crates in order to prevent seepage of melted ice; and the water that spills and also melted ice from craters should be diverted and collected in waste water collection tanks of adequate size (like 50 liters capacity for vehicles carrying one tonne of fish) that are fitted to the vehicles exclusively for this purpose.
Police commissioner Patil also had directed the police personnel and other concerned departments to make sure that these rules are strictly enforced, and violators slapped with hefty fines, like Rs 5000 when caught for the first time, and if the driver is seen discharging fish water on the road for the second time, their vehicle will be seized. But seeing the situation this morning between 6.30 am and 7.30 am, none of the fish hauling drivers have adhered to the rules, and without any fear of being caught by the cops, or could be “I don’t care” kind of attitude, the streets starting from Fish Dock-Bunder passing through the City on their way to their local destinations or destinations in Kerala, are seen with fish waste water, intentionally spilled by the drivers. If the cops want to crack down on such violators, they should be on the road by 6 am for vehicle check- and not according to their timing after they get up from their bed, past 8 or 9 am or so. It will not serve the purpose!
For long time, the police administration had been claiming there were no set rules to prevent this nuisance. However, following frequent complaints from citizens/residents and media reports, the Mangaluru City police has now got the model followed by their Kerala counterparts. Kerala has strictly implemented directions from the southern bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) at Chennai in containing the menace. It is learnt that NGT, in its interim order on a petition by advocate P. Sasi from Thalassery in January 2013, had directed the government to prosecute drivers and persons responsible for the transportation of fish if the vehicles were found to be discharging waste water on roads.
In its final verdict on July 2, 2015, the NGT directed the Kerala government to ensure that all vehicles transporting fish were adequately insulated and made leak-proof. They should be fitted with waste-water collection tanks [50-litre capacity for 1 tonne capacity], while fish, mixed with ice, should only be transported in crates. Ever since this order, Kerala government is following the same. As per rules, Markets and fish-processing units should have adequate septic tanks and soak-pit systems to receive waste water. The Tribunal had said all major markets, owned by local authorities, should provide septic tanks on their premises. Fish landing centres and auction centres, markets etc., should be modernized and equipped with storage facilities to handle fish. Goa has facilitated the discharge of waste water into local underground sewage system at select locations. However, there is no such facility in Karnataka. Acts and regulations on marine fishing are silent on this.
So until, the traffic cops “REALLY REALLY” want to crack down on these vehicles discharging fish waste water on streets, two wheeler riders have to be very cautious and look for slippery spots due to fish water spillage, and pedestrians have to cover their noses from inhaling the stinky fishy smell?
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- Only Promises NO Action by Officials! Trucks Spilling Fish Waste Water on Rd Still Continues
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