Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (SP)

Udupi, Mar 8: Hundreds of people living within the area covered by the vented dam built across Kalmadi Rivulet to block saline water mixing with the river water, and who are affected by high pollution levels in the river water, held protest for the second time in front of the office of the district deputy commissioner here on Monday March 7. They demanded immediate stoppage to the practice of discharging the town’s effluents into the rivulet, which they termed as grossly unscientific.

The protestors are aggrieved at the fact that the effluents continue to pour into the rivulet, even after a protest was earlier staged by them. On Monday, they met at Kalmadi Marugudi, and went in a procession to the office of the deputy commissioner. After staging the protest, they submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner.

They said that Kalmadi rivulet, which provides fresh water, on which hundreds of families depend, has become highly polluted because of the discharge of untreated effluents. They said that because of the accumulation of the effluents at the vented dam, a nauseating stench has been permeating through the area, posing the risk of endemics, and making it difficult for the students to concentrate on their studies. They noted that a number of water sources of temples and other prayer centres in the area, which are considered holy by the devotees, have begun stinking because of water pollution. They complained that the effluents, which are expected to be processed and recycled at the treatment plant set up by KUDCEMP at Nittoor, are allowed to flow without treatment, and that untreated water flows directly into the rivulet. The treatment plant is defective and non-functional, they alleged.

Former MLA, U R Sabhapaty, block Congress president, Pramod Madhwaraj, and a number of local leaders participated in the protest.