Thiruvananthapuram: State human rights commission (SHRC) chairperson Justice Alexander Thomas recommended installing cameras at various locations along the Amayizhanjan canal to prevent waste dumping. Corporation health department officials should be appointed to monitor these cameras, he said.The order was issued after hearing the relevant govt agencies, based on a report submitted by the commission’s chief investigation officer in a suo motu case related to waste dumping in the canal. SHRC also suggested strengthening the operations of the health squad appointed during night-time and recommended that the district collector take steps, in consultation with the city police commissioner, to provide police officers to assist them. The railway’s suggestion to lower the metal grating at the entrance of the canal near Thampanoor railway area should be examined. A practical decision should be made by deputy collector (disaster management), in consultation with representatives from the railway and the major irrigation department, to remove waste from this area daily, the chairperson said. A list of institutions provided by Suchitwa Mission M-Panel for waste removal and processing from the canal should be published. Steps should be taken to establish an effluent treatment plant at KSRTC Thampanoor Central Depot with the co-operation of the Suchitwa Mission, he said. The district collector should assign the deputy collector of the disaster management department to co-ordinate the commission’s recommendations and evaluate future actions. If further orders are needed, the deputy collector should bring it to the commission’s attention. The Suchitwa Mission director informed the commission that Gen Robotics technology is used in areas where it is not possible to manually remove waste from the canal. The instructions were given to the district collector, corporation secretary, railway divisional manager, city police commissioner, major irrigation department’s superintending engineer, Suchitwa Mission director and KSRTC Thampanoor DTO.
