Tamil Nadu: Storing drinking water? Residents told to pay fine

Chennai: Kancheepuram district collector P. Ponniah and public health officials on Saturday earned the wrath of residents during their anti-dengue drive to 12 residential localities. It all started with the officials fining the public a sum of Rs 500 for storing drinking water informing residents that storing water will breed dengue mosquitoes. 

The residents shot back at block development officer Jerome Anand insisting they are not fools to store water unnecessarily. “You officials fail to give the daily supply of water and that’s the reason, the homemakers stock drinking water,” said residents of Moovarasampet in St Thomas Mount block.

At one point the residents complained to the collector seeking action against the municipal officials for not repairing the drinking water pipelines and not fumigating their locality. Only after collector assured action and ordered the block development officer to address the civic issues, the public pacified.

There were also heated arguments in Tirusulam and Chromepet areas when officials fined property owners for storing drinking water and dumping waste on roads. Cattle owners draining cow dung into stormwater drains were also not spared and imposed a fine of Rs10,000 leaving the livestock owners crying foul. According to Kancheepuram official sources, a total of Rs 1,11,000 was collected as fine including 50,000 from the marriage hall breeding mosquitoes and Rs 25,000 from multi-storey buildings dumping waste on the roads.

You have been warned

• Kancheepuram collectorate has fixed Rs 50,000 fine for marriage halls breeding mosquitoes.
•  Rs 25,000 for multi-storey buildings, causing sewer overflow.
• Rs 10,000 for cattle owners dumping cow dung into storm water drains.
• Chennai corporation has warned Rs 2,000 fine for residents breeding mosquitoes.
• In Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram Rs 500 collected from residents if mosquitoes found breeding in their buildings. 

In  Chennai, the corporation officials who have visited close to one lakh houses are yet to intensify the fining spree and have served more than 2,000 notices for residents warning fine if their premises were not kept clean. A few private schools in central and south Chennai were also fined for not keeping the grounds and overhead water tanks clean. “We are relatively going slow on fining but private schools, breeding mosquitoes are targeted”, a corporation official said. 

Health minister C. Vijayabhaskar’s comment on Rs11 crore fine from mosquito breeders in the state has triggered controversies and trolls on social media. There was also a funny caricature of a state minister trying to shoot out dengue mosquitoes using toy pistols used for Deepavali. Residents of public welfare association also slammed the state public health department and local bodies for failing on their part and alleged that the authorities are trying to cover up their mistakes by fining the public and property owners. DC interacted with social activists in Greater Chennai for their response