Mysuru: Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) officials stopped a lorry which was transporting plastic waste illegally and handed it to the Police Department.

The incident occurred on Thursday when the MCC’s Senior Medical Officer Dr. H. Ramachandra, Corporator Prashanth Gowda and the Abhaya team, were waiting for the lorry, based on definite information, on Mysuru-Nanjangud Road near  Mandakalli.

The team spotted a tarpaulin covered lorry and stopped it. The driver sensed the attack, parked the lorry to the side of the road and escaped. When the lorry was checked they found plastic waste.

It was learnt from the locals that the plastic waste collected in bags was being taken to the rice mill near Kaggilapura in Mysuru taluk, since the last one week.  

On receiving this piece of information, Health Officer Dr. Ramachandra along with his team went to the rice mill premises and found hundreds of plastic bags. It was found that one Khader had taken the rice mill on rent and was using the place for distributing plastic waste. He was buying plastic waste in Kerala and transporting it here for distribution.

However, he was doing this business without taking permission from the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) and also taking on rent the rice mill premises without bringing it to the notice of the MCC, both of which are offences.

In the light of this, the MCC informed the Pollution Control Board and asked them to   register a case.

No hazardous material found, only dry waste

If plastic waste has to be transported from one State to another then the permission of the Pollution Control Board is required. This plastic waste has come from Kerala. The lorry carrying nearly five to six tonnes of waste has been confiscated and handed over to Rural Police Station. Khader has illegally collected this waste. The locals have informed that since the last one week the plastic waste is being transported and stored in the rice mill premises. However, only dry waste and no hazardous material was found.

—Dr. H. Ramachandra, Senior Health Officer, MCC