MSEZL flayed for dumping mud in River Phalguni

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, April 14, 2012 : The people of Melakoppala and Athrebailu near Kulur stopped Mangalore Special Economic Zone Limited (MSEZL) workers from dumping mud into River Phalguni on the morning of April 13 Friday.

MSEZL has been continuously dumping mud in River Phalguni along a 1.4km stretch to widen the KIOCL to Jokatte Railway Gate road that runs along its banks.

 

 

The local people allege that the level of water in the river has risen by 3ft ever since MSEZL started its work. They are afraid that the situation will lead to artificial flooding during the monsoons. The local people have also submitted a memorandum to DC N. S. Channappa Gowda.

Speaking about the situation, Arun D’Souza of Athrebailu said that the people had demanded that the work should be stopped at 8:30 a.m., but the work was stopped only at 10:00 a.m. Mr. D’Souza said that the local people remained on the spot for a long time afraid that workers will continue dumping mud into the river after they left.

Further, Mr. D’Souza said that MSEZL continues dumping mud into the river in spite of getting a notice from the CRZ. He said that the authorities are least bothered about the issue.

On April 5, the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) of the department of environment and ecology had served a notice on MSEZL directing the company to stop dumping mud into the river since it has permission only to build a road, and not to reclaim land. According to Mahesh Kumar, the assistant director for CRZ, the company has not bothered to respond to the notice.

He said that the department will write to the secretary for Environment and Ecology, who will take the required steps against MSEZL if the company does not obey CRZ directives.

According to Ramachandra Bhandarkar, the PRO of MSEZL, the company has requested the environment department to allow it to continue work till May 25 and that the company will remove the mud from the river at the end of the project.