Times of India: Mumbai: Tuesday, DEcember 12, 2017.
In a sheer display of callousness, the city corporation took more than three years to reply to a petition after it was filed by a whistle-blower regarding a garbage dump yard. The petitioner, RTI activist Daniel Jesudas, was shocked to receive the reply on Friday (December 8, 2017) for a petition on Vellalore dump yard he had sent the corporation in 2014. Now it seems that it may take another three more years for the civic body to resolve the issues he had raised in the petition.
"In June 2014, I had petitioned the civic body as the area around the dump yard was facing a lot of problems including, health hazards, houseflies and stench. But I did not get any reply. I received a reply on Friday and I was surprised. Generally, officials take a day to a week to resolve grievances. But our corporation takes three years to just reply for the grievance," he said.
He sent the petition on June 16, 2014 to the commissioner of Coimbatore Corporation. In the reply, dated December 4, 2017, the corporation commissioner said that the corporation was disposing and composting the waste at the Vellalore dump yard in a scientific manner. "In order to give a permanent solution, the corporation has already taken up scientific closure and it has been completed. As of now, fresh waste is being processed in the waste receiving area. Mosquito and fly control measure are also being done in and around Vellalore compost yard regularly," said the letter.
Daniel said, "It took them three years to reply to the letter. The pollution in the area in the past three years has only increased causing ground water pollution. Earlier, only 200m around the dump yard was polluted but now the entire town panchayat is suffering. I am sure, it will take another three years for them to just take decisions," he said.
Corporation officials, when contacted, said they were clearing all the pending grievances. "We will ensure that all pending grievances are replied to," said a senior official.
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