COIMBATORE: Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) levied a fine of Rs 10,000 on a private truck owner for illegally dumping waste on the public road near Singanallur. Based on a tip-off, the sanitary department officials of the civic body caught a truck driver red-handed while he was dumping garbage on the road behind the VGM Hospital on Tiruchy Road on Thursday. The driver had collected waste from a private apartment near the police quarters area in Ward 60 of the East Zone.
Based on the instructions from the East Zone Assistant Commissioner and Zonal Sanitary Officer, Ward 60 Sanitary Inspector detained the truck and levied a fine of Rs 10,000 on the truck owner. Although the owner was fined by the civic body, sources said the apartment owner who hired him was let go with no action. Sources said, "While the truck driver and owner were fined, the civic body failed to take action against the apartment owner who hired the truck. A phone call from former MLA and DMK district functionary Kathick asking not to impose any fine against the apartment owner stopped the civic body officials from taking action."
When inquired about the accusation, Karthick's wife Lakumi Ilanjelvi, who is also the CCMC East Zone Chairperson, told TNIE that no such phone calls were made and some people blamed them out of vendetta.
She added, "Action must be taken against the truck owner as well as the apartment owner. There are around six private garbage collectors who collect bulk waste from apartments and dispose of it safely. Apartments must hand over waste to them or pay the necessary charges to CCMC to collect garbage. But the apartment has done neither. Steps will be taken to levy fines on the apartment too for dumping the garbage on the streets."
Speaking to TNIE, K Jeevamurugaraj, sanitary inspector of Ward 60 in the East Zone said, "We didn't receive any call from the former MLA's office. We imposed a fine on the truck owner because he told the apartment owner that he would dispose of the waste safely. However, we shall check with the apartment owner."