Environmentalists get ’late’ action at Kadri park

Environmentalists get ’late’ action at Kadri park

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, April 17, 2016: Reports state that the directions  of DK DC Adoor.B. Ibrahim to the Horticulture Department to demolish and clear all buildings from the proposed Musical Fountain Park at Kadri, environmental activists regretted that the administration had only acted a month after the trees were felled.

On March 14, activists under the banner Rashtriya Parisara Samrakshana Okkuta carried out a protest against the felling of 17 trees and other works related to the construction of the musical fountain. The activists had questioned the construction of stalls.

The Forest Department had taken note of the unauthorised felling of trees and had registered a case against the contractor of the project under Section 33 (2) V of the Karnataka Forest Act, 1963.

Activist and artist Dinesh Holla said, “It is painful that it has taken nearly a month for the administration to notice the violations …officials just ignore our protests ….. where is justice?”

Another activist Dinesh Pai said officials took considerable time in giving information about the project. With documents in hand,  Pai said they were getting ready to approach the local court for violations of Karnataka Park, Play-Fields and Open Spaces (Preservation and Regulation) Act 1985 by MUDA, Mangaluru Urban Development Authority, which is executing the musical fountain work.

“The threat of legal proceedings praobably may have caused the DK DC  to take note of the violations,” he said.

Leader of the Opposition in the Mangaluru City Corporation Roopa D. Bangera too had raised her voice recently against construction of stalls inside the Musical Fountain Park.  She had said besides defeating the very purpose of the park, the constructions would be an impediment to widen the Kadri Park Road in the future.