Mangalore, Oct 11: Over a hundred residents from Jokatte and surrounding areas under the banner of Nagarikara Horata Samiti, Jokatte staged a demonstration in front of the deputy commissioner's office here on Friday, demanding that the œpolluting sulphur and coke manufacturing units of Mangalore Refinery and Petroleum Limited (MRPL) Phase III plant should be scrapped.
In view of air, noise and water pollution in the areas surrounding the plant due to the chemicals emanating from it, the local residents demanded that the coke and sulphur units should be shut down.
Addressing the demonstrators, Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) state president Muneer Katipalla said that the lives of the residents living in Jokatte and surrounding areas had become miserable ever since the coke and sulphur units had begun functioning in MRPL.
The residents of the surrounding areas and villages are slowly succumbing to diseases and their health is deteriorating due to the coke and sulphur manufacturing units. The villagers are now living a life of exploitation because of the public-sector company, which is causing the vast amounts of pollution in the air and nearby water sources, he said.
He said that in the Phase III project, the MRPL started the coke and sulphur units without informing or obtaining permissions from the local gram panchayats or local residents. Moreover, the senior officials of the company falsely claim that they have undertaken all necessary measures to monitor the pollution levels in the surroundings. However, a green belt is yet to be established around the perimeter of the plant, he said.
Questioning the silence of elected representatives such as forest and environment minister Ramanath Rai, health minister U T Khader and fisheries minister Abhaychandra Jain with regard to the problems faced by the villagers, he challenged them to reside in the colonies adjacent to the plant.
Mr Katipalla warned that the company would be forced by the people to shut down if the same continued to occur.
Convenor of the Samiti and former president of Jokatte gram panchayat B S Moidin Sharief also spoke on the occasion.
The demonstrators undertook a procession from the clock tower in Hampankatta to the deputy commissioner's office.
A memorandum was handed over to the deputy commissioner in this regard.
Comments
Add new comment