Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)
Mangaluru, Mar 30: The environmentalists are always worried about protecting riverbanks and public places from the risk of pollution. Hundreds of people, on the other hand, are finding places to throw their waste. In spite of the spreading awareness, it is not easy to maintain the environment clean. Netravati riverbank bears testimony to the truth behind this statement.
Most of the areas in Ullal are full of filth and garbage. Whoever travels by the main roads here is sure to get welcomed by plastic sachets of different colours and sizes dumped on both sides of the roads covering every conceivable space. Ullal, with a number of medical colleges, hospitals, IT company, university etc is considered to be a hub of education and health. But people from other parts of the country and abroad who visit this place are sure to get disillusioned at the sight of the garbage thrown everywhere.
The situation at the banks of River Netravati is horrible, to say the least. This spot has been chosen by hotels, dealers in chicken and other things as a dumping ground for the waste generated by them. Many a time the heap turns putrid and becomes a breeding grounds for diseases. The waste disposed of on the riverbank also gets into the river where the creatures eat them up. During the summer the garbage changes the colour of the water.
Considering these things, Green Brigade and Anti Pollution Dry Foundation, as a measure to create awareness among the people, waited by the riverside for a week in January to stop garbage throwers. They also reached spots which even the animals disliked to go, and removed loads of garbage and disposed of the same. Temporarily the riverbank bore a very clean appearance. Of late, however, miscreants have again got busy with the task of filling the riverbanks with unsightly garbage bags.
Nagaraj Anchan, a member of the Green Brigade, has decided to put an end to the throwing of garbage by people going for work. For the last three months, he reaches Netravati bank at 5.30 am from his house in Bajal and waits there for three and half hours. Nagaraj plans to end garbage disposal here and continue with his fight till the administration fixed the CCTV camera.
After the suicide of Siddharth of Cafe Coffee Day, under the guidance of MLA, Vedavyas Kamath, fencing has been provided to the bridge and two CCTV cameras have been installed. But both of them are turned towards the river.
Deputy commissioner of the district, Dr K V Rajendra, said that he will get an assessment as to whether the current CCTV cameras be used to stop garbage disposal. If not, he said, he will discuss the issue with the panchayat chief officer about either district administration or highways authority fixing cameras here.