KOCHI: Twelve loads of garbage were removed from the Ernakulam market on Tuesday after sub-judge and secretary of Ernakulam District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) A M Basheer staged a sit-in at the market. Basheer said he also plans to hold an adalat for the 212 shops that allegedly function without licences and conduct a thorough revamp of the market.
Repairing the lighting, ensuring maintenance and making use of the biogas plant will also be looked into.
Basheer was visiting the market as part of DLSA’s ‘Clean Ernakulam city’ project when he saw the huge garbage dump there.
“I was shocked. It seems people are under the belief this is a dump yard, not a market. Even while I was standing there, I saw a vehicle coming in to dump waste. From what we understand, it was the vehicle of the Kochi Corporation and they have been using this area as a common dump yard,” Basheer said.
Shopkeepers and load workers in the market with whom Express spoke to, confirmed the waste had not been collected from the market for around 10 days.
The crowd began protests when the authorities claimed the waste was being removed every day.
What is appalling is before the waste is dumped here, some people allegedly collect vegetables which are less ruined than the rest and sell them on wholesale rates to small shops around the city who then use it to make snacks.
Workers in the market remain mute witnesses to this. The market supplies the whole city with vegetables.
“I had decided I won’t leave the place till the waste was removed. I trust it was a wise decision as the authorities concerned quickly sprang into action,” said Basheer.
‘Waste being collected regularly’
The Kochi Corporation has denied all the allegations and maintained the waste was being cleared from the area regularly. “On Sundays, the amount of waste is huge. Considering the shortage of vehicles for collecting waste, it is possible some waste was left behind the day before. However, the allegation that it had been lying there for 10 days is baseless. I already got a report from the health inspector confirming this. We are also collecting user fee from shopkeepers,” said Mayor Soumini Jain.