Litterbugs have a free run as police go slow

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It has been six days since the Vilappilsala waste treatment plant was shut down and Kudumbashree workers stopped collecting garbage from city houses. Ever since, the city streets have turned dumping grounds as the people have started disposing of their domestic waste on roads with a vengeance. Interestingly, the city police, who have been on a rigorous drive of booking litterbugs, have cut down their intensity, probably owing to the fear of facing the wrath of the public.  It was a month ago, on November 22, that the state police had launched Operation Sweep, a drive to book litterbugs, following a directive of the High Court. The City Police had also booked over 50 persons, who were caught disposing of waste in public places in various parts of the city. However, when the number of offenders increased, the vigour of the police seems to have become inversely proportional.  The police sources say that the drive had huge public support when it was launched. But then, the people had a better choice of waste disposal. Now, with the closure of that choice, everyone has resorted to dumping waste in the open. ‘’Earlier, the people used to tip us off about wrongdoers. But now, even these informers have started dumping waste on public places after Kudumbashree workers stopped collecting waste from houses. This has brought down the number of cases registered,’’ says a senior official attached to the Thampanoor police station.  But there were some officers who begged to differ.  ‘’Our patrols still maintain the vigour. We do not show any leniency in our approach, though we are well aware of the situation,’’ says Poonthura Circle Inspector Vinod, who pointed out that as many as three persons were booked the previous day for littering public places. Poonthura is the police circle where most cases (23) were registered under Operation Sweep.