Only Promises NO Action by Officials! Trucks Spilling Fish Waste Water on Rd Still Continues

Only Promises NO Action by Officials! Trucks Spilling Fish Waste Water on Rd Still Continues

Mangaluru: Seems like the weekly Friday Phone-In programme handled by the Police Commissioner is just a Nataka/drama, for the fact, no action is taken even after repeated complaints by citizens over the phone regarding the spillage of fish waste water on the roads by fish-laded trucks. While large containerized fish transporting trucks have adhered to the rules/orders by not letting out the fish waste water from the waste water tank, but unfortunately, a large number of smaller goods pick-up vehicles still continue the spillage of water, which make roads slippery and hazardous to motorists, especially the two-wheeler riders.

If you examine closely, about 90% of these smaller fish hauling trucks don’t even have a waste water tank, and they ply on the streets keeping the waste water tap open. Speaking to Team Mangalorean over the phone, Nemu Kottary said, “You should be knowing that I have been calling about this issue of fish water waste menace during the every weekly phone-in programme of Mangaluru City Police Commissioner, but I think its simply a waste of my time, since for the last few weeks no action has been taken by the Police Commissioner nor Deputy Commissioner. What’s the fun in having this programme, if civic issues are not rectified. Just fooling the public with assurances, I guess”.

Even after repeated complaints of foul smell and spilling of waste water by goods vehicles transporting fish along the three coastal districts appear to have had no impact either on the respective district administrations or the Transport and Police Departments. Apart from the vehicles carrying fresh fish, those vehicles hauling rotten/waste fish to fish meal factories are also creating more nuisances by spilling stinky fish water on the streets, thereby adding to residents’ woes. This problem is eased only during the fishing ban period of two-months when fish is not transported. To stop this menace is not so hard, if the administration makes a strong decision, and also if the traffic police get into action. But it seems like no one cares, and everyone has turned a blind eye to this issue which has been existing since years.

Why the cops have to stay on the roads to crack down on the drivers who allow the fish water waster spill on the road? Why can’t they go right to dock area when the trucks start plying from there, and check for violation? And even if they do surprise check on such vehicles, they should do it early in the morning when these fish trucks hit the road, and after late morning hours, which is useless, because only a few trucks ply during that time. Even after so many complaints made to Police Commissioner T R Surseh during the phone-in programme about this issue, he made promises that he will take care of it soon-but no action at all, and now he is transferred, and we have a new police commissioner, we will have to wait and see how he is going to rectify this “stinky”issue. DC’s and Police Commissioners have come and gone, without fulfilling the promises they made. Let’s wait and see that at least under the present DC and PC, this issue will be corrected.

But even if the traffic cops have been cracking down on these fish truck drivers for violating the rules, where they confiscate their driver’s license, and the violators have to appear the court, and pay the fine imposed by the judge, which could be around Rs 1500-2000, only after paying that fine the drivers will get their DL back, but the violations are still on the rise. And yet another problem which this issue won’t be under control is that, by the time the cops get to their duty in the morning, all these fish trucks have gone by then. The only way to crack down on these fish trucks disposing off fish waste water on roads, is that traffic police should start their crack down on such trucks early in the morning, and not as per regular duty hours?? Let’s hope for the best.

Also Read Related Articles:

• A Stinky Issue Gone Fishy to Deal With? Spilling Fish Waste Water on Roads still NOT Under Control
• ‘Stop Public Nuisance while Transporting Fish – DCP warns Drivers