KOCHI: Police has conducted an inquiry into alleged dumping of toilet waste into Periyar by a resident apartment complex in Aluva, following complaints lodged by a councilor of Aluva Municipality. On the orders of Ernakulam Rural SP P.N. Runnirajan, Narcotics Cell DySP V.K. Sanil Kumar last Thursday visited the Aluva Municipal office and inspected the files and recorded the versions of the Municipal Secretary V.K. Rajan and a health inspector.
Councillor Mini Baiju lodged the complaint with the Rural SP and she said that she has also sent complaints to Chief Minister and the Water Resources Minister Mathew T. Thiomas in this regard. “Despite complaints by people in the area and also by me, the Secretary slapped only the minimum fine of Rs 10,000 on the flat in the Chempakassery area while the maximum fine under municipal Act is Rs 25,000. The secretary has not taken any step to remove the pipe which carried the toilet waste into the drain that leads to Periyar,” said Mini Baiju, councilor of Ward 12 where the incident occurred.
She also said that the flat owners mixed phenyle and lime with the waste before dumping it into the river. “The waste found its way close to the pumping station in Periyar at Aluva which catered drinking water to residents of Kochi. Despite protests and complaints, the authorities are trying to hush up the matter,” she said. When contacted the Municipal secretary Mr Rajan said that the allegations were not fully true.
“Toilet waste was not dumped but polluted water was channeled into the river by mistake. The same has been stopped and the fine was imposed under Section 340 of the Municipal Act. It is the prerogative of the secretary to decide on the quantum of the fine. Even the Pollution Control Board officials also inquired into it and found nothing,” said Rajan. DySP Mr Sanil Kumar said that he has not submitted his report to the SP on the subject.
