A protest by a sub-judge in Kochi lead to the cleaning up of an Ernakulam market after traders alleged that it had not been cleaned for several days.
Sub-judge and secretary of the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) A.M. Basheer had gone to inspect the market as part of the DLSA's 'Clean Ernakulam City' project. There he saw a huge pile of garbage, and on enquiry found that it had been left for several days.
He immediately began a sit-in protest, refusing to leave until the garbage was cleared. Within a few hours, around 25-30 truckloads of garbage was cleared from the spot.
"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.
To ensure that such an incident doesn't occur again, and regular cleaning of the market takes place Basheer helped the traders and local residents form a committee. The committee has direct access to the Kochi Corporation so that there is timely and efficient cleaning done.
During the inspection, the sub-judge also found out that there was no food and safety department's license for most of the shops in the market.
The Kochi Corporation, in a statement, denied any allegations of mismanagement. It said that the waste was being cleared from the area regularly.
Under the Swachh Bharat scheme, the Indian government hopes to make the country cleaner through a series of campaigns and moves such as installing more toilets and recycling facilities. The biggest target of the campaign is to make all of India open defecation free.
[With inputs from ANI]
