Kerala HC appoints amicus curiae to study and report on Amayizhanchan canal waste

Kochi, Jul 15 (PTI) The Kerala High Court on Monday appointed an Amicus Curiae to study and report on the condition of the Amayizhanchan canal in Thiruvananthapuram where a sanitary worker died after going missing in it while clearing the waste and filth from it two days ago.

A bench comprising Justices Bechu Kurian Thomas and P Gopinath termed the incident unfortunate and asked the state government to formulate a plan to clean it up.

The high court said it was not a time for a blame game, and asked the railways and the city corporation to clear the waste under their respective jurisdictions.

The body of the sanitary worker Joy (47), who had gone missing while cleaning a canal filled with waste and filth in the state capital two days earlier, was found on Monday morning.

The decomposed body was found in the canal on the Pazhavangadi-Thakaraparambu-Vanchiyoor road by corporation sanitation workers, who immediately alerted the police and the ward councillor.

The high court bench, which was considering matter of the Brahmapuram waste plant, took up the death of Joy after a lawyer mentioned it.

The court asked the government, the city corporation, and the railways to jointly pay the fees of Rs 1.5 lakh to the Amicus Curiae, who had been asked to visit the accident site and file a report soon.

The court posted the matter for further hearing on July 26.

Both the railways and the city corporation should ensure that the canal is cleaned, the court said and asked the state government to formulate a plan.

Meanwhile, the Railways blamed the city corporation in court and said waste can be seen accumulating even outside its premises in the state capital.

The court, however, directed the Railways to clean their premises and asked the corporation to ensure that waste is not thrown into the canal.

The court also observed that the colour of the water was black due to the waste accumulated over the years.

Joy, a temporary cleaning worker employed by a railway contractor, went missing while clearing the waste-filled canal criss-crossing through the heart of the capital city on Saturday.

He and two other workers were engaged in cleaning the part of the canal near the railway station in the locality of Thampanoor when the water flow increased due to heavy rainfall, sweeping him into a 200-metre-long tunnel below the tracks of the Thiruvananthapuram Central railway station platforms. PTI CORR RRT RRT ANE