Clicks pictures of multiple vehicles offloading debris and waste in the wee hours in Santacruz locality that sees regular cleanliness drives
Resident clicked photos of three different trucks dumping refuse in Relief Road area
For weeks, baffled residents of Relief Road, Santacruz West, have been keeping vigil, their mobile phone cameras on, to catch the culprit responsible for spoiling their clean locality with heaps of garbage, which would keep materialising despite clean-ups. Now, a resident has finally solved the mystery.
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Caught on camera
In the early hours of Wednesday, Dr Salim Deshmukh, dentist and personal health trainer, spotted a dumper at the far end towards SNDT College, emptying a truckload of rubbish on the footpath. "I immediately stopped my vehicle and clicked photos. A middle-aged man and woman manually emptied the truck, while three men stood guard," he said.
Deshmukh said shortly after, two more trucks arrived and started offloading gunny bags filled with debris on another stretch of the road that leads to Pawan Hans quarters. "I managed to click pictures of number plates of all three trucks," he said.
When mid-day visited the site, there were hacked bits of a full-grown coconut tree, which clearly suggested it was a case of illegal cutting, besides pipes, empty cement bags, a broken commode and other waste, evidence that it was from a site undergoing civil work. Secretary of the local residents' association, Raghunandan Haridas asserted it was high time the culprits, who were transforming their area into a dumping ground, were booked.
Strict action promised
When contacted, local municipal councillor Hetal Gala lauded residents' diligence and admitted to being baffled over the garbage materialising daily in the area despite regular cleanliness drives. "This is totally illegal. I will share the photographic evidence with the authorities concerned. We shall ensure that the culprits are booked," she assured.
Assistant Municipal Commissioner of H-West ward Sharad Ughade said based on the evidence shared, strict action shall be taken. "I have instructed my staff to lodge a police complaint against the accused and have also notified BMC marshals to keep a strict vigil in the locality, to ensure nothing more of this sort recurs," he added.
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