VMC excuses smell fishy

VADODARA, June 10: The Vadodara Municipal Corporation might have deployed more staff at the Hathi talav following Express Newsline report...

VADODARA, June 10: The Vadodara Municipal Corporation might have deployed more staff at the Hathi talav following Express Newsline reports, but they are yet to clear either the pond or the talav completely. A goodly portion of the 12 tonnes of fish that died last week still float on the pond, while a large number lie scattered on the banks, coming in the way of anyone walking in the area.

In fact, alleges Samsuddin Pathan, a resident of Chaman Tekra, the safai workers deployed left soon after their bosses went away. 8220;The VMC staff did not cover the entire pond or even the banks. They removed some dead fish only from one part of the lake8221;, complains young Dilshad Pathan, while pointing to the remnants of fish all around.

Another resident, Iqbal Jinnat claims that the VMC staff told him it wasn8217;t their job to clear fish from the banks. When contacted, Fatehpura ward officer Gopalbhai Parmar says he has put up a notice in the filaria department seeking greater staff deployment on Friday. So far as the hazardous burning of fish on the banks of Hathi talav was concerned, Parmar indicates there is little option since 8220;the Gajrawadi incinerator is used only to burn big carcasses.8221;

VMC Chief Medical Officer Dr Dhurandhar Pathak, however, pooh-poohs the suggestion that dead fish could not be burnt in the incinerator. 8220;But burning fish in the open is also one method8221;, he maintains. 8220;It is not a health hazard.8221;

In fact, Pathak says no medical teams were sent to the area on Thursday as 8220;only a couple of people complained of minor stomach ailments on Wednesday8221;.

Dr Hemant Patel, who has a private clinic in Fatehpura, however, says he has received quite a few gastro-enteritis cases from the Hathikhana area. He, however, specifies that the nausea quite a few people had complained of may not be due to the foul smell.

While tests have indicated that the fish did not die because of any problem in the water, Hathi talav water samples will be tested again on Thursday. Asked how long it would take the VMC to clear the area, Pathak only says 8220;immediately8221;.