No end to dumping of debris in Mangalore

MANGALORE: Despite former minister for environment J Krishna Palemar offering monetary reward for those who help nab offenders who dump debris by the roadside in Mangalore City Corporation limits, the practice continues unabated in Dakshina Kannada.
A TOI reader, who found a vehicle (KA 19 A 8935) illegally dumping debris on the roadside near Kadri Park along NH, on Thursday mailed the photos to the newspaper. The vehicle had displayed a banner, which read 'On Mangalore City Corporation Service', on it.
When TOI contact MCC commissioner K Harish Kumar on the issue, he said that the civic body would investigate the matter and take appropriate action.
Referring to the incident Palemar said that that people in DK were lukewarm to environmental safety. "Even when I offered a reward of Rs 1,000 from my personal funds to help catch such offenders, there was no response. The situation did not change when I backed my action with an official order and enhanced the reward, " Palemar, who was also the former district in-charge minister, said.
Stating that such incidents only reinforced his perception of the issue he said that he would continue his crusade against the practice. "It does not matter that I am no longer a minister. I will take it up with authorities concerned in my capacity as an MLA," he said adding that he has already drawn the attention of MCC commissioner K Harish Kumar and other officers of the civic body towards the issue.
"Failure to curb the practice will result in disaster in terms of artificial flooding in areas where debris blocks natural flow of storm water," he added.
Srikanth Rao, the joint commissioner, said there was no prescribed fine in the city corporation manuals for those caught dumping debris illegally. "The cost of transporting such debris to proper landfill site is more than the fine imposed on the offenders. MCC is thinking of proceeding against the offenders under the public nuisance clause of Karnataka Police Act," he said.
City police chief Seemant Kumar Singh said a similar drive was on in Gujarat and could be tried out in the district also.