Kochi: Garbage removed after sub-judge's on-the-spot protest

Around 25-30 loads of garbage was cleared from Kochi's Ernakulam market after a sub-judge and secretary of the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) A.M. Basheer staged a rare protest at the spot.

Basheer said he was visiting the market as part of DLSA's 'Clean Ernakulam city' project when he saw the huge garbage dump there.

On enquiry, the traders and workers told Basheer that waste had not been collected from the market for several days.

"I received a lot of complaints regarding the garbage piled up in the market. When I came here for inspection, it was unfortunate to see that all people are dumping the waste here without knowing the adverse effect it can have on us," Basheer told ANI.

Thereafter, the officer held a stand that he would return only after the whole garbage was removed. Basheer at the spot began a sit-in, which ended a couple of hours later when the last of the garbage trucks left the place.

Also, to ensure that garbage cleaning at the market takes place regularly and efficiently, a committee of traders and local residents at the market was formed.

The sub-judge also found out that there was no food and safety department's licence for most of the shops functioning in the market.

However, the Kochi Corporation has denied all the allegations and maintained the waste was being cleared from the area regularly.