Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan urges authorities to act tough against those involved in illegal dumping of untreated sewage
The Hindu
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan recommends stringent measures to check illegal dumping of sewage in Ernakulam, Kottayam and Alappuzha. District Collectors asked to step up action against violators. Door-step collection of non-biodegradable waste improved. Faecal sludge treatment plants being set up. Poverty eradication, welfare programmes and new projects for each district reviewed. Flooding due to high tide in Ernakulam, Alappuzha and Kottayam discussed. Project to address silt deposits in Vembanad Lake to be drafted.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has recommended stringent measures to check illegal dumping of untreated sewage into the open spaces and water bodies in Ernakulam, Kottayam and Alappuzha districts.
He asked the District Collectors to step up action against violators at a zonal review meeting of Ernakulam, Idukki, Kottayam and Alappuzha districts held in Kochi on October 3.
The programme was meant to evaluate the progress of various developmental works and welfare measures for the public initiated by the Left front government. Ministers and senior bureaucrats attended.
Mr. Vijayan asked the authorities to set up necessary facilities for the management of solid and liquid waste. The illegal dumping of waste has gone down after the Kerala government initiated the ‘Waste-free Kerala’ programme. However, the government will strengthen its action against those found involved in illegal waste dumping in violation of the rules, he said.
The District Collectors informed that door-step collection of non-biodegradable waste has improved under their limits. The efforts to set up faecal sludge treatment plants are progressing. The process of installing vehicle-mounted faecal sludge treatment plants is also moving ahead as per the plans, they said.
The meeting reviewed poverty eradication programmes, mission-mode works, State and national highway projects, welfare programmes, and new projects for each district. Ernakulam District Collector N.S.K. Umesh informed that more green islands will be set up in the district as part of the Haritha Keralam Mission.
The meeting observed that flooding due to high tide was affecting normal life in Ernakulam, Alappuzha and Kottayam districts. The Chief Minister directed the officials to draft a project to address the issue of silt deposits impacting the depth of Vembanad Lake.
“We are judges and therefore, cannot act like Mughals of a bygone era ... the writ courts in the guise of doing justice cannot transcend the barriers of law,” the High Court of Karnataka observed while setting aside an order of a single judge, who in 2016 had extended the lease of a public premises allotted to a physically challenged person to 20 years contrary to 12-year period stipulated in the law.
The High Court of Karnataka on Monday declined to interfere, at present, in the investigation against a Bharatiya Janata Party worker, who is among the accused persons facing charges of circulating obscene clips, related to “morphed” images and videos clips related to Prajwal Revanna, former Hassan MP, in public domain through pen drives and other modes.
The 16th edition of Bhoomi Habba was held on June 8, at the Visthar campus. The festival drew a vibrant crowd who came together to celebrate eco-consciousness through a variety of engaging activities, creative workshops, panel discussions, interactive exhibits and performances, all centered around this year’s theme: “Save Water, Save Lives.”