New pollutants: Sun control films, confiscated vehicles

After the Supreme Court directive to remove sun control films from car windows, the city is threatened with a new pollutant.

 Hundreds of these tinted films being removed on a day-to-day basis, have found a place in the streets after the Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) intensified the drive against sun control films.

 It is estimated that films from around 500 vehicles are removed on a daily basis in the city.

 However, the automobile mechanics do not have any clue about what to do with the films removed.

 “Sometimes we burn the films.

 Normally we stack them up in some sacks and give them to the rag pickers,” says Martin, who runs an automobile workshop in the city.

 The films are also dumped in open spaces, which has posed a threat.

 Normally these sun control films are either polyester films or dye film, which do not degrade easily or never undergo degrading at all.

 The police are also least bothered about the disposal of the sun screen films.

 According to them, the removal is their only concern.

 Captured Vehicles

Another concern raised as part of the pollution are the rusting vehicles that have been confiscated by the authorities.

 According to Ernakulam Regional Transport Officer T J Thomas around 100 seized vehicles are lying on the Collectorate premises.

 The authorities are least bothered about the environment aspect of the issue.

 The rusting of these vehicles can lead to water pollution in the near future.

 “We are trying hard to track the owners of these vehicles.

 But most of the time, there is no hint of the actual owners, making it hard to remove the vehicles,” Thomas said.

 The MVD is planning to build a a vehicle yard at Thuthiyoor near Kakkanad for dumping the confiscated vehicles.