Silvester D’Souza
Daijiworld Media Network – Kundapur (EP)
Kundapur, Apr 21: “As dirty water is flowing into the Souparnika river that is situated in front of Kollur Mookambika temple for the past several years, birds and water creatures are dying. People are facing various ailments and skin diseases. It also affects the devotion of devotees arriving at the temple. If the situation is not solved within a week, a case against the deputy commissioner, assistant commissioner and the tahsildar will be registered at the Green Tribunal in Chennai,” said social activist Harish Tolar Kollur.
Speaking in the Kundapur press club, he said that people in hotels and residential buildings in the vicinity are letting wastewater into the river. “The water in the holy river gets polluted and water creatures are dying. Forest animals that drink the water also are likely to die. Three people have died due to this. The gram panchayat is helpless in preventing it,” he said.
“There is no flow of water into the river other than during the three months of monsoon. People are falling sick due to the stink and mosquitoes in the water,” he said.
“It is mentioned as Perambur lake under survey No. 118/1 of Kollur village. The forest land on both sides of the river is illegally occupied and unauthorized residences and hotels are constructed. The government officials should take action and get them vacated. Those who reduced the width of the river by illegal occupation should be taken to task.”
“There is a land of 15,764.48 acres under Kollur survey No. 56 out of which 2.20 acres belongs to the temple. 0.2 acres is left for the crematorium. The remaining land belongs to the forest department. 866.75 acres of it is a reserved forest. 250 meters long concrete road is being constructed from Ganapathi temple to Kashi lake. The Kollur gram panchayat has no knowledge about it. The place where Suparna Garuda, who was responsible for the name Souparnika river, performed meditation has been illegally occupied,” he said.
Social activists Dinesh Ganiga Kota, Vivek Suvarna, Suresh Sangam, Raju Sangam and Dhananjay were present.