Sewage, which was supposed to be discharged in specific approved locations, was being let into in waterways and vacant lands in various locations across Chennai city, Congress legislator K. Selvaperunthagai said in the Assembly on Thursday.
In his speech during a debate on the motion of thanks for the Governor’s Address in the Assembly, he said vehicles that received between ₹2,000 and ₹3,000 for clearing sewage, instead of discharging them in approved locations, dumped them in waterways and vacant lands.
Minister for Municipal Administration and Water Supply K.N. Nehru intervened to say that a licensing system was in place to monitor vehicles removing sewage and were installed with GPS equipment. Laws provided for imposing a fine on such vehicles and they would be seized too, the Minister said.
However, Mr. Selvaperunthagai said such laws were in place but the implementation was questionable and went on to say he was witness to many such violations. There were some “local influential people” behind the menace, he said.
The MLA also urged the State government to do away with double license system which was affecting road-side eateries from the Greater Chennai Corporation and the Greater Chennai Police. Though a G.O. issued in 2007 during the erstwhile Karunanidhi government did away with the practice, it somehow crept in, he said.
The Congress floor leader also urged the State government for organising ‘Manu Needhi Naal’ (grievance redressal day) only in the presence of respective MLA of the Assembly constituency.
