BENGALURU: Alert Bengalureans seized a truck carrying chemical pollutants before its contents were dumped into Vrushabhavathi Valley early on Friday morning. The residents of Banashankari and members of Namami Vrushabhavathi, who formed a squad, set out on road around 3 am and seized the vehicle at Banashankari 6th stage 2nd block.Suresh R, a local resident and member of Namami Vrushabhavathi, told The New Indian Express, “We knew that miscreants were dumping the waste in some places which had led to a bad stench in the valley and the colour of water too was changing.
While patrolling the area at the narrowed-down location, we (cab driver appointed by KSPCB, a security guard from KSPCB and another man along with Suresh) kept a watch from a distance. We earlier saw 3-4 cabs patrolling the area. After some time, a tanker with its headlights off reached the location and was about to release the effluents when we stopped them and caught them red-handed,” he said.
They got hold of the tanker’s keys and his documents, and the driver called up his owner, Santosh, who came to spot in less than 10 minutes. “Santosh threatened me and even called up a pollution control board official. I dialed 100 and two Hoysala vehicles reached the spot. Sighting the presence of the police, all of them fled. The police, however, seized the vehicle. An FIR has also been registered,” Suresh said.
The locals who were part of the drive blamed the KSPCB for not being at the site and letting the culprits escape. They also accused KSPCB of being hand in cahoots with some of the polluters. This is the second such incident this year. In February, the KSPCB on a tipoff had seized a vehicle releasing effluents. During that seizure too, the accused had escaped.
KSPCB Member Secretary Srinivasulu said the Board had held a meeting with citizens to let them help officials. “The Marshals are patrolling the area round the clock. Soon, four more vehicles and teams will be deployed. We are exploring the option of forming a team by involving citizens. We are watching the action of officials too,” he added.