Mangaluru (The Hindu): Members of the Indrani Tirtha Mukti Andolana Samiti took out a padayatra here on Tuesday demanding an end to discharge of sewage into the Indrani rivulet, which was polluting the waters.

Three clear streams of water from different places joined together to form a small rivulet at Indrali and then flowed down through Beedinagudde, Kalsanka, Matadhabettu, Nittoor, Kambalakatte, Kodavoor and joined the sea at Kalmady here. This rivulet is called the Indrani Tirtha.

The residents of Kodavoor village are upset that sewage was being discharged into the rivulet when it passed through Udupi city. This was polluting the rivulet and that they had to bear the brunt because they lived downstream. Ramachandra, a resident and samiti member, said that about 20 years ago, people used to grow crops on their land from the rivulet water. But now the water was polluted and it could not be used for agricultural or any other purpose. Large tracts of fields were now fallow.

People had to depend on tap water supplied by the municipality. Even the wells in the houses close to the rivulet had got polluted, he said.

Eugene Lasrado, president of Kodavoor Self-Help Group, said that people living close to the rivulet were also developing allergic rashes. “Earlier, we used this water for drinking and bathing. The water, which was pure and clear earlier, is now dark,” she said.

Balakrishna, resident, said that all the parties which ruled the Udupi City Municipal Council (CMC) for the last 15 years were responsible for this situation. The quantum of sewage being discharged into the rivulet had also increased during this period.

There were mosquitoes breeding in the water now and cases of dengue in the region had increased. Though the people of the region had brought this matter to the notice of the CMC and district administration earlier, their pleas had not evoked any response, he said.

Raghavendra Rao, another resident, said that the samiti would give 20 days time to the district administration to set right the problem. “If the problem is not addressed, we will launch an agitation,” he said.

The protesters later submitted a memorandum at the Deputy Commissioner’s office.