Steni Simon By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Despite the efforts made by the city corporation and departments such as Haritha Keralam Mission to prevent waste dumping in Parvathy Puthanar, there seems to be no respite for the canal. The stretch of the canal from Kovalam to Akkulam, which was cleaned in the first phase of the corporation's restoration work, has relapsed into its former state. Residents in the stretch have been complaining about foul smell due to dumping poultry waste and septage into the water body. "This is making it difficult for us to stay in our houses. We use the same water for drinking and household purposes,” says Sajan P, a resident. Though the corporation had appointed special health squads to nab offenders, a huge amount of abattoir and household waste is still being dumped in the canal everyday. “We had taken an initiative to register slaughterhouses and restaurants in the city with waste-collection agencies, but the practice has been continuing,” says Mayor V K Prasanth. The Mayor also said the civic body, under the Kerala Protection of River Banks and Regulation of Removal of Sand Act, has decided to keep aerobic bins along the stretch so that waste dumped into the water body is reduced. In the coming days, the civic body will spread more awareness among the public so that waste is properly segregated. CCTV cameras will also be installed in the area and the offenders slapped with a fine of up to Rs 1,000. From next week, the law to fine offenders will be strictly enforced, said the mayor. Furthermore, corporation authorities have decided to take action against shop owners who continue to hand over biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste to unregistered agencies.The squads will continue catching such shops and stringent action will be taken against those who are found dumping any kind of waste in the water bodies. Besides the steps taken by the civic body to restore Parvathy Puthanar, Haritha Keralam Mission is planning to launch a campaign to protect water bodies by spreading awareness about environmental laws among the public from August 15 to October 2. “The mission will start enforcing the rule from October 3 and imposing the fine on people who dump waste,” said T N Seema, chairperson of Haritha Keralam Mission. More than 20 lakh people including students, teachers and representatives of organisations will be given classes on environmental laws.

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