Mangaluru : Members of Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat in a special meeting of the panchayat on Friday expressed concern over dumping of garbage along the Mangaluru-Konaje road side and urged the panchayat to take action against the dumpers.

But the authorities at the helm of the zilla panchayat kept mum, without stating what action they would take to end the menace.

Raising the subject, Santhosh Kumar Rai, a member, said this particular road had many education institutions and hospitals between Deralakatte and Konaje.

Many people from outside Mangaluru, including foreigners, visit these institutes. The reputation of Dakshina Kannada as a clean city was at stake. The respective gram panchayats under their jurisdiction along the road have failed to stop the dumping.

He said that the dumping menace was more severe near Deralakatte, Asaigoli and Natekal junction on the road.

Mr. Rai said the zilla panchayat should direct the panchayat development officers (PDOs) to ensure that no more garbage was dumped and the dumped one was cleared.

The former president of zilla panchayat Mamatha D.S. Gatti, who supported the subject, wanted to know whether gram panchayats had any sites specified for dumping of chicken and meat waste. She suggested that police help should be taken to act against garbage dumpers in public places. Ms. Gatti suggested that closed circuit television cameras could be installed in some places to catch the dumpers.

The members said that unless proper steps were taken to end the dumping of garbage on roadsides and public places communicable diseases would only increase.

At the end of the meeting neither the president of the panchayat nor the chief executive officer clarified what action would be taken to end the roadside dumping of garbage under the jurisdiction of gram panchayats.