The residents of Pallikkandy on the banks of Kallai river are on high alert after repeated incidents of alleged dumping of garbage on the riverbank have been noticed.
The alleged dumping has been happening over months and an encroached section of the riverbank is being used as a dump yard for all kinds of waste ranging from slaughter waste to hospital waste. Pungent smell permeates the air in the area. Residents have complained that the authorities have not taken any steps to either stop the dumping or remove the waste even after repeated complaints.
“Anti-social elements are using an encroached piece of land to dump waste and a scrap business is the front for it. The scrap dealer refuses to accept responsibility for the dumping on his plot,” said Faisal Pallikkandy, general secretary of Kallai River Protection Committee.
The committee has been leading the local people in their efforts to prevent dumping of garbage into the river, especially from the Kallai bridge. Around 50 tonnes of waste has accumulated on the riverbank.
Meanwhile on Friday, local people foiled an alleged attempt to dump a container truck load of waste at the site. “They had started unloading when we intervened. Then they changed the narrative by claiming that they came to pick up the waste. With the help of the police, we loaded a large chunk of the waste at the spot into those vehicles,” Mr. Pallikkandy said. The Chemmangad police had taken two vehicles into custody based on the complaints from local people.
However, Kozhikode Corporation claimed not to have any idea about who dumped the waste.
“The Corporation has a proper waste collection mechanism. Our staff do not collect hospital waste. Neither do they have to dump it anywhere,” said S. Jayasree, Health Standing Committee Chairperson of the Corporation, adding that the waste could have come from outside the city. Ms. Jayasree said that the Corporation could look into the matter and take action immediately.
