Controversy over Environment Day event with stage blocking road in Thiruvananthapuram

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A public event organised as part of the World Environment Day in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday landed in controversy after complaints that a road near Thakaraparambu was blocked for a while as the stage was constructed by blocking it. Though the programme banner carried the images of Thiruvananthapuram Mayor V.V. Rajesh, who was supposed to inaugurate the event, Mr. Rajesh and the Corporation distanced themselves from it.

The programme titled Punarjani was organised as part of an Amayizhanjan Canal - Parvathy Puthanar Canal cleanup campaign.

Speaking to mediapersons, Mr. Rajesh said that he had participated only in two Environment Day related events and was unaware of the event in question.

“My photographs are attached to several events, but they need not be officially sanctioned ones. This was not the Corporation’s official programme. Since it happened on a Public Works department (PWD) road, the PWD or the police should have taken action, not the Corporation,” he said.