Akshata Shetty
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)
Udupi, Nov 18: Daijiworld had carried the story about the stinking surroundings of Beedinagudde area where mushrooming of thatched huts occupied by families of migrant labourers who have mainly come from north Karnataka districts have been posing major health hazard. Concern about the poor standards of hygiene and non-availability of water, toilet and other facilities which have triggered an alarm about likely outbreak of communicable diseases had also been expressed by us because of open defecation and dirty surroundings.
File Photo
Less than two weeks after the report became public, this issue was taken up at the zilla panchayat meeting attended by municipal commissioner, Manjunathaiah, and local MP, Shobha Karandlaje.
Responding to the issue, Shobha noted that the owner of the private land inhabited by the labourers has already been served with notices. "Let him either remove the huts from the area, build houses there and rent them out. If that is not possible, let him evict the huts. If he fails to comply with this, let the deputy commissioner acquire the land," she said.
She said that the municipality is not concerned on what basis the people live there, either on ownership basis or rental arrangement. "As the person collects rent from the dwellers of the huts, it is his responsibility to provide toilets. It is upto him to make alternative arrangements," she said, adding that the main purpose of the civic bodies is to maintain clean environment and protest public interest.
She said that the only alternative left now, as the owner has been overlooking successive notices serviced by the municipal commissioner to fall in line and follow the instructions contained therein, is for the district deputy commissioner to take suitable steps. She said that she has already discussed this issue in the meeting and passed necessary instructions.