2 held for unloading human waste near waterbody in Ooty

COIMBATORE: Ooty rural police on Friday arrested two persons for unloading a truckload of human excreta near a water body resulting in its mix-up.

The accused, Ranjith (29), and Sakthivel (24), both natives of Thanjavur, were employed in a private firm involved in cleaning septic tanks in Ooty.

“On 29 March, the duo had cleaned a septic tank from a house at Bikkatty in Kundha. Instead of giving the waste to a fertilizer manufacturing unit for a charge of Rs 1000, the duo unloaded them on the deserted Ithalar Road. Due to rains over the last three days, the waste mound got mixed in water at a spring, which the villagers use for drinking,” police said.

Several villagers fell ill and also suffered from diarrhoea. Based on a complaint by Nanjanadu panchayat president Sasikala, the Ooty rural police arrested both Ranjith and Sakthivel.

They were booked under IPC section 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), 277 (fouling water of public spring or reservoir), and 328 (causing hurt by means of poison). They were produced in court and remanded into judicial custody.