MCC panel visits mushroom factory at Vamanjoor

MCC panel visits mushroom factory at Vamanjoor

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru,Oct 20, 2023: On Thursday, October 19, a delegation from the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC), led by Mayor Sudheer Shetty Kannur, paid a visit to the Whitegrove Agri LLP (limited liability partnership) factory situated near Tiruvail in Vamanjoor. This visit was prompted by complaints from some local residents regarding a noxious odor emanating from the mushroom cultivation unit.

The decision to form this committee was made during a meeting of the MCC Council on September 29, in response to a request by Y. Bharath Shetty, the MLA for Mangaluru City North. Mr. Shetty had called for the relocation of the unit to an industrial zone or the permanent closure of the facility, given its current presence in a residential area.

The delegation included key MCC council members such as Chief Whip Premanand Shetty, Opposition Leader Praveen Chandra Alva, MCC Commissioner Anand CL, and BR Ravi, an environmental officer from the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board. Their visit involved an inspection of the factory’s compost yard, as well as a trip to the nearby Ashraya Colony to engage with local residents.

During their interactions with residents, committee members listened to their grievances concerning pollution and health-related issues. Many residents pleaded for the factory to be relocated due to the unbearable foul odors. The factory management asserted that none of their workers had experienced any adverse effects thus far. Notably, Hemalatha Salian, the corporator of the ward, had raised the issue at the MCC council meeting, citing the nauseating smells from the factory that have inconvenienced local residents. Approximately 200 to 300 houses in the vicinity have been contending with the factory’s presence for the past year and a half.

Y. Bharath Shetty, the MLA for Mangaluru City North, was also present at a previous MCC council meeting, where he urged the council to take action to relocate the mushroom unit to an industrial area.