Puducherry: Even after much opposition from the eco-friendly outfits in Puducherry, the Dredging Corporation of India(DCI) started discharging sewage and garbage into the sea again, which is against environmental norms.
DCI, which stopped twice releasing the toxic garbage into the sea following objections from Alliance for Good Governance (AGG), a group of NGOs, resumed draining sewage and toxic materials into the sea on Thursday.
DCI continued its operations despite National Institute of Ocean Technology (Niot) directing it to wind up the project, following the directions from the port department.
The DCI was assigned the task of dredging three lakh cubic metres of sand from harbour mouth and deposit along the coast between the Gandhi Statue and new pier.
DCI has already dredged 2.94 lakh cubic metres of sand and informed that they are winding up the project. But the port department is forcing the DCI to dredge the remaining sand so that they are continuing the work and dredging the toxic waste to the sea, say AGC members.
The port department officials have been justifying the act and saying that the dredged sewage was being discharged into the sea for all these years, which is unacceptable.
“When we contacted, a higher official said that the sewage being dumped into the sea is not toxic and even NIOT had submitted a report saying that it is not harmful. When we contacted NIOT officials, they denied that they have submitted any reports like that” said Probir Banerjee of AGG.
The ACG members have brought the issue to the notice of Chief Minister, Lt Governor and other officials. Residents and tourists alike will be exposed to serious health hazards if the government did not take any actions to stop draining toxic waste into the sea, Banerjee added.
