Residents lay siege to MSEZ office; demand removal of mud dumped into Phalguni

Mangalore, May 2: Activists and residents of Melakoppala and Athrebail on Wednesday laid siege of the Mangalore Special Economic Zone (MSEZ) office demanding removal of mud dumped along the Phalguni river near Kuloor and restore the ecosystem. The protest lasted four hours.

The mud had been dumped along the river for the proposed road-cum-pipeline corridor, which will connect the Mangalore Special Economic Zone and the New Mangalore Port Trust. The Melakoppala and Athrebail residents said this would narrow down the space for the Phalguni causing floods. Despite notices issued by the Coastal Regulatory Authority, the MSEZ was yet to clear the mud, the residents alleged.

The residents accompanied by the members of Citizen's Forum for Mangalore and Democratic Youth Federation of India arrived at the MSEZ office at Urwa Stores around 4 p.m. and sought appointment with the MSEZ Managing Director Rajiv Banga to raise their concerns about dumping of the mud. But the MSEZ staff told the protestors that Mr. Banga was not in the office. But the protestors refused to leave the place and insisted that they would not leave without meeting Mr. Banga.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Subramanya and police personnel from the Urwa station rushed to the venue. The Legal Advisor of MSEZ Premanand Kini told protestors that the ongoing work was done legally and there was no question of removing the mud.

Vidya Dinker from Citizen's Forum countered Mr. Kini and showed the notices issued by the Coastal Regulatory Authority to the MSEZ asking the latter to clear the mud. Then Mr. Kini and Ramachandra Bhandarkar, Public Relations Officer, called representatives of the protesters to come inside the MSEZ office for discussion. The protestors did not agree and continued to sit outside the MSEZ office.

Meanwhile, some of the protesters proceeded to the Urwa police station and lodged a complaint about Mr. Banga being missing.

The MSEZ officials then came out and told the protesters that Mr. Banga had difficulty in speaking the local language and hence was not comfortable in speaking with the protesters. The protesters then insisted that the MSEZ Managing Director gave in writing assurance .

Around 8 p.m. Sub-Inspector from Urwa Police Gopala Kotapady told the protesters that Mr. Banga had told him that he would be meeting them on Thursday at 5 p.m. near the Kuloor bridge.