Udupi (The Hindu): The Jai Bhavani Parisara Raksha Seva Samiti has opposed the operation of a stone crusher unit at Kalya village in Karkala taluk of Udupi district.
Addressing presspersons here on Saturday, A. Aravind Rao said that the unit was operating in the village since 2008. However, the district administration declared the area in which the unit was working as a safe zone in 2013. But the local people in the village were opposed to the functioning of the unit.
The functioning of the unit was creating problems for nearly 25 houses and 30 acres of agricultural land in the area. There was also a school nearby. The operation of the unit had polluted air, soil, water, and fields in the area, he said.
‘Stop operation’
Umamahaswar, leader of the samiti, said that even the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) had objected to the functioning of the crusher. The KSPCB had, in its order dated May 8, 2015, directed the proprietor of the unit to immediate stop the operation of the stone crusher. It had directed the Deputy Commissioner of Udupi district to enforce the order.
It had also directed the Managing Director of the Mangalore Electricity Supply Company (Mescom) to issue necessary directions to its officials to stop power supply to the stone crusher. “Despite this order from the KSPCB, the unit is still operating,” he said. “We have been opposing this unit for the last five years and also approached the district administration and the departments concerned, but it has made no difference,” he said.
A member of the samiti was also threatened and assaulted in the month of the January, this year, Mr. Umamaheshwar said.
However, A.M. Niranjan, Senior Geologist, Department of Mines and Geology, said that upon the receiving the order of the KSPCB on May 24, 2015, the department had issued notice to the stone crusher unit on June 1, 2015 to stop its operation. “As per our information, its operation has stopped. But the issue is pending before the court of Regional Commissioner in Mysuru,” he said.
