CHENNAI: Four days after large amounts of garbage were dumped in the Putheri Lake in Pallavaram overnight, the Chennai Police has still not booked the offenders behind the act.
On December 30, the residents of Pallavaram found huge piles of garbage mountain engulfing the lake. Subsequent protests by residents had brought in large numbers of police officials to the spot.
Police attached with the Pallavaram limits said that they had got hold of a lorry company owner based in Chromepet and he confessed to dumping the waste in the lake.
“The lorry owner said since Kodungayur dumpyard is far from Pallavaram, and hence he decided to dump it in the lake,” said Pallavaram station inspector Elangovan.
However, the police have not booked the lorry owner nor the driver in any of the Environmental violation laws.
Police officials said the lorry owner is a contractor with the Pallavaram municipality and they only must take action.
“We have handed over the lorry owner to the Municipality. They may levy fine on him,” said the police. Municipality officials too said they would levy fine on the contractor.
However, the police has not booked any of the offender under relevant sections. Section 24 of the Water Act, 1974 prohibits anyone from dumping garbage into water bodies while Section 43 gives punishable offense with imprisonment for a term not less than one year and six months but which may extend to six years and with a fine.
On the other side, activists questioned where this kind of a modus-operandi of police handing over the offender to the Municipality has happened before.
“How can the police hand over the culprit to the Municipality? Why have they not booked the offender based on the complaints under relevant sections?,” questioned David Manohar of Arappor Iyakkam, who was one of the complainant.
He said that the whole issue was happening in an ‘hanky-panky’ way and it is questionable how the police took four days to nab the culprit. “I am also a complainant in this issue to nab the culprit, so will the police hand over the culprit to me or book him under relevant sections?,” questioned Manohar, adding that it was wrong to hand over culprits to the civic body.
He added that despite high-resolution number plates scanner being in place, the police delayed catching the culprit. “They must arrest them and file necessary sections of environmental violation,” he said.
Activists said that they would take up this issue with the National Green Tribunal in the future. Activists also said that they did not receive a CSR copy for the complaint made to book the offender.
Independent activist Santhanam, who belongs to a nearby locality, said he has also lodged a complaint but has not received an acknowledgment.
The 83-year-old activist, who also staged a protest outside the Municipality office on Wednesday, along with 20 others.
Santhanam said that the offenders must be booked under Goondas act as they have killed the waterbody. “This water body was restored by the hard work of residents. The offenders have literally destroyed this waterbody by covering it up with garbage,” added Santhanam.
The activists have alleged that this garbage was from the municipality segregation site and since a private company is coming near the site, the municipality had allegedly shifted it to the lake.
Putheri is a 10 acre lake and it was brimming with fresh water after the recent rains. Officials are still clearing the garbage from the lake.