Pics: Umesh Marpalli
Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (HB)
Udupi, Mar 20: The Akhil Karnataka Nela Jala Parisara Samrakshana Vedike (AKNJPSV) and residents of surrounding villages of Punchur, Cholebettu and Bayarbettu panchayats, jointly staged protest in front of Kukkehalli village panchayat here on Monday, March 19 against illegal fish processing unit Karavali Freezers and Exports.
Srilatha Shetty, state president, Akhil Karnataka Nela Jala Parisara Samrakshana Vedike, addressing the protestors said, “Just three months ago, villagers complained to assistant commissioner and CEO of Udupi zilla panchayat against Kukkehalli panchayat for issuing license and NOC for electricity to fish processing unit.”
Another copy of the memorandum was submitted to chief secretary of Social Welfare department and the concerned minister regarding the polluting of drinking water and taking away of rights of SC and SC community people.
The vedike also pressurised Karnataka State Pollution Control Board to test drinking water and Madisalu river water. If immediate action is not taken by the district administration, they threatened to stage day and night dharna in front of DC office, Manipal.
Ramachandra Bhat, senior villager of Punchur village annoyed by the fish processing unit said, “Only few of the villagers are supporting the protest. None of the concerned departments are taking action against this factory. Villagers are fed up due to problems. The local body is not supporting us and that is very disappointing. During monsoon, excessive water will join the river water and it spreads smell over there. Water is completely polluted and not good for drinking. Though the evidence is visible, the Environment Pollution Control Board is silent.”
PDO of the 22nd Kukkehalli village panchayat Vasanthi Shetty said, “We have brought our issues to the notice of the concerned department and the district administration. Definitely, there is a problem of drainage (polluted) water. It affects the surrounding water bodies. When we raised objections, the fish factory brought stay order from the court. Around 200-250 employees are working in the unit. There are two public wells, but are contaminated by polluted water, released from the factory. We use tanker water from private sources for our use.”
Another villager Pushpa said, “I got skin allergy by drinking polluted water. My children also got sick and complained of cough and cold. The officers here say that action will be taken, but nothing has been done so far. We are striving to get drinking water every day. The water has become poisonous and oily.”
“There is a pond near the factory, which fills during rainy season. That is directly connected to public well. When the villagers complain about water, the panchayat president used to instruct to use bleaching powder to purify the water. The trees are dying, because of polluted water. The system of flowing is also unscientific. The water test result says that it water from the source is not fit for drinking. The factory is running since eight years,” said the villagers.
The president of the panchayat Ashalatha Shetty also agreed to the problem of releasing of contaminated water from the factory. She said, “It was permitted by the earlier president. We have sent a notice to the AC. We have examined the problem recently accompanied by other officials on the basis of public complaints. The same was raised at general body meeting also.”
Sanjiv Naik, SC committee leader, Cholebettu, Ambalpady Umesh Kumar, state vice-president, AKNJPSV, Uday Kumar Shetty, state treasurer of AKNJPSV, Nithyananda Shetty, district leader and others were present.