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Mangalore: Contaminated water: Consumer court orders compensation for Majila residents

  •   Wed, Jun 25 2014 09:38:36 AM

Pics: Brijesh Garodi
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore

Mangalore, Jun 25: As the water in the surroundings of Majila had been contaminated and the residents had filed a complaint with the consumer court stating that the main reasons for the contamination was the negligence of MCC officials and the carelessness of the Pollution Control Board officers, the consumer court, taking serious note of the issue and after thorough investigation, has ordered the officials to pay compensation to the affected residents.

Informing this at a press meet on behalf of Majila residents here on Tuesday June 24, Prakash Bhat, tax consultant and RTI activist said the consumer court has ordered MCC and the Pollution Control Board to pay compenstion of Rs 5,000 to each household.

"The water in the surroundings had been contaminated completely giving rise to many communicable diseases. The people of the area had brought the issue to the notice of the MCC officials and the Pollution Control Board, but when there was no response at all from their end, the residents approached the consumer court," he said.

"The consumer court has now ordered the MCC and the Pollution Control Board to pay Rs 5,000 as compensation to every house that has been effected by the problem. The total compensation payable comes up to around to Rs 1,75,000 and additional Rs 5,000 as compensation towards the court expenses," he said.

"Unless the problem is solved completely, the MCC is also liable to pay Rs 50 per day to around 35 households, that is, Rs 52,500 per month with 12% interest," he said.

"After the court arrived at this decision, the MCC and the Pollution Control Board filed an appeal in the state consumer court. The state consumer court has outrightly rejected their plea and directed the MCC and the Pollution Control Board to follow the orders of the district consumer court," he informed.

"Access to clean drinking water is the basic right of every individual and the consumer court has proved this," he added.

Majila residents B C Fernandes, Narayan S and Sylvester Rego were present.
  

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Comment on this article

  • Ajay, Mangalore

    Thu, Jun 26 2014

    Sewage and drinking water mixing is a national problem in India. It exists in all cities making tap water not potable in India. All tap water that you drink has sewage mixed in it, whether you know it o r not.

    Instead of building SEZ, Mega petroleum plants, nuclear plants and mega projects which benefit only the few, the priority of the government should be to provide clean drinking water to the citizens of the country and such real basic facilities. But alas they will never do it as there is no big money to be made in doing this.

    DisAgree Agree [1] Reply Report Abuse

  • Mann, bangalore

    Wed, Jun 25 2014

    Consumer Court rightly took MCC and PCB to task for their callousness and as redressal awarded monitory compensation to each house hold to be paid by them.
    There should be another ruling too.
    That the compensation should be bourne by the officials concerned in MCC\PCB and not from public money.
    If this kind of punishment is meted out and warned of imprisonment if repeated, then only the situation will improve and the matters looked into promptly.
    Otherwise the official of MCC\PCB will say they will pay from treasury with a quip "Whose father's what goes"!! and will be lazy as ever in the future too.

    DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

  • B C FERNANDES, MAJILA M'LORE

    Wed, Jun 25 2014

    Mann and Melwyn, there is some confusion on who should bear the compensation burden. The District Consumer Forum has ordered the MCC to pay the compensation from it funds and subsequently identify the erring officials from whom the said amount has to be recovered. Hence it is clear that the amount has to be recovered from the erring officials.
    b.c.fernandes, majila

    DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

  • B C FERNANDES, MAJILA M'LORE

    Wed, Jun 25 2014

    This sewage problem is not restricted to Majila alone. This is prevailing in every part of Mangalore. And for that matter it is prevailing throughout India. It is estimated that by the year 2020 40% of Bangalore has to be evacuated as the sewage water has reached the ground water, thereby polluting borewell water!!!!!! A recent study reveals that the bacteria coli which is associated with sewage water is available in borewell water as well. Therefore every citizen should act immediately to protect his constitutional right for clean drinking water.
    b.c.fernandes, majila

    DisAgree Agree [1] Reply Report Abuse

  • Melwyn, mangalore

    Wed, Jun 25 2014

    Which money they are paying as compensation? Is it taxpayers money or from own pocket?

    DisAgree Agree [3] Reply Report Abuse

  • c ferrer, mangalore

    Wed, Jun 25 2014

    I must mention that nowadays the MCC do not care about water quality. We were getting no water from the municipal lines so a borewell was dug but no quality tests were ever done-now this borewell line with the dirty water is connected to the MCC drinking water line and all the water- from both sources is getting contaminated. Any sense in this?
    Can qualified readers please voice your opinion as we are fed up with pleading with MCC.

    DisAgree Agree [3] Reply Report Abuse

  • richard, majila, mangalore

    Wed, Jun 25 2014

    good work by Mr.Fernandes & Mr. Rego

    DisAgree Agree [3] Reply Report Abuse

  • MARCEL DSOUZA, MANGALORE

    Wed, Jun 25 2014

    well done majila residents. we have to learn from you. In our area articial flood is a common feature during rainy season. Despite several reminders they have not done any permanent solution to solve this problem. Our Corporator is sleeping over the issue. He is least bothered about our problems. This is the way the MCC works.

    DisAgree Agree [3] Reply Report Abuse

  • Joe Gonsalves, Mangalore

    Wed, Jun 25 2014

    What a fair and just decision on the part of Consumer Court to pass a judgement ordering M.C.C. and the Pollution control board to pay compensation to the aggrieved people.

    I can only say kudos to the people passing this JUST AND FAIR judgement.

    Joe Gonsalves

    DisAgree Agree [4] Reply Report Abuse

  • jeevan, mangalore

    Wed, Jun 25 2014

    Despite 65yrs still contaminated water...

    DisAgree [8] Agree [5] Reply Report Abuse

  • Tom Cat, Mangalore

    Wed, Jun 25 2014

    Good work by Majila residents Fernandes, Narayan S and Sylvester. That means the elected people representatives were useless. They only to burden people with taxes.

    DisAgree Agree [7] Reply Report Abuse

  • Lloyd Cutinha, Valencia, Mangalore - Bahrain

    Wed, Jun 25 2014

    "Consumer court has ordered MCC and the Pollution Control Board to pay compenstion of Rs 5,000 to each household"
    "The water in the surroundings had been contaminated completely giving rise to many communicable diseases"
    After all the compensation which has been ordered by the consumer court does not even cover the medical expenses of each family who might fall sick due to the contaminated water....Cheap payment for one individual to bear the sickness due to the negligence of MCC.

    DisAgree Agree [5] Reply Report Abuse

  • ISMAIL.K.PERINJE, PERINJE

    Wed, Jun 25 2014

    If system is not doing their job properly some one remind them to do so and Consumer court slapped in the face of MCC and pollution control board.Good decision also far reaching effect on lazy and error officials.

    DisAgree [1] Agree [14] Reply Report Abuse

  • sid, mangalore

    Wed, Jun 25 2014

    super work by the RTI activists and the consumer court . Pollution control board can now wake up ! . its common to see so much of mud in the mcc supplied water ...

    DisAgree Agree [8] Reply Report Abuse


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