Kerala village told to clean up river or face prosecution
Apr 24, 2007 - 3:57:23 PM
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The village local body president V.P. Mohammed Ismail said, 'We started taking steps a year ago and since last October we are progressing with the job on a war footing. On May 1 we shall undertake another massive cleaning job where more than 1,000 people would take part. And now we are going ahead with steps to acquire land to dispose of the waste,' said Ismail.
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By IANS,
[RxPG] Thiruvananthapuram, April 24 - The Kerala State Pollution Control Board - has threatened to take legal action against a village council in Kottayam district if they do not take urgent steps to clean up a river which has become polluted due to dumping of wastes.
G. Rajmohan, chairman of KSPCB, said the notice was sent Saturday to the Kanjirapally village council in Kottayam.
Kanjirapally is economically well off as it has a large number of rubber estates in the village.
Rajmohan told IANS: 'Following complaints, I made a personal visit to the place and was upset to see the dumping of solid as well as liquid wastes into the river from hotels, markets, chicken stalls, fish vending centres, commercial establishments and public utility centres.'
He said it was the first time that such a stern warning had been issued to a local body to take immediate steps to clean up a river.
According to him, tests revealed that there was a high count of coliform bacteria present in the river water, indicative of sewage pollution. The level of dissolved oxygen in the water was nil, showing that the river was dead.
'They - have been asked to make all arrangements to see that the situation is not allowed to continue. They should have started taking steps from 2003, but have done practically nothing. If no steps are taken to rectify the situation, we will initiate legal action against them,' said Rajmohan.
The village local body president V.P. Mohammed Ismail said, 'We started taking steps a year ago and since last October we are progressing with the job on a war footing. On May 1 we shall undertake another massive cleaning job where more than 1,000 people would take part. And now we are going ahead with steps to acquire land to dispose of the waste,' said Ismail.
According to Rajmohan, not adhering to the Water - Act, 1974, and the Municipal Solid Wastes - Rules, 2000, would incur penalty of imprisonment of up to seven years and fine.
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