Bhatkal: Fish vendors in Bhatkal staged a protest on Tuesday and submitted a memorandum to the Town Municipal Council (TMC) Chief Officer, alleging that garbage from nearby houses was being dumped on the pathway leading to the old fish market.

Led by the president of the Fishermen and Fish Vendors’ Association, Khaja Kalaiwala, the vendors gathered at the TMC office demanding immediate action against those responsible. They also expressed anger over photographs of garbage piles near the old market being circulated on social media, accompanied by messages urging people not to buy fish there. The vendors described this as a deliberate attempt to defame them.

The memorandum further alleged that negative propaganda against the old market had intensified after the establishment of the new fish market. The association urged the TMC to file a police case against the culprits and warned that, if no action was taken, they would approach the police directly. Association Vice President Kalyani Moger, members Mohammed Ayub, Pandu Naik, Nazir Ahmed, and several women vendors were also present during the protest.

It may be recalled that on Monday, fish vendors blamed that piles of waste were found dumped along the Sultan Street entrance to the old market, prompting a protest. They alleged that certain individuals were intentionally disposing of household waste there to damage the market’s reputation. When TMC Health Officer Sujiya Soman rushed to the spot to hear their grievances, the protesters said that despite their own efforts to maintain cleanliness—including installing drainage grates at their own expense—the deliberate dumping and subsequent circulation of photographs on social media were meant to malign them. The vendors further warned that if the problem persisted and strict action was not taken, they would be forced to sell fish on the road in protest.

During inspection, the health officer found documents among the dumped waste, including a hospital bill, school papers, and materials from a hair salon. She confirmed that fines would be imposed on the identified violators. Following her intervention, TMC staff cleared the garbage and transported it to the dumping yard.