Udupi: Activists Stage Rail Roko to Protest Tranportation of Coal

Durga Digitals
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi

Udupi, Jun 2: The members of Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangh (KRRS) and Nandikur Jana Jagruti Samiti stopped a Mathsyagandha Express train here on Wednesday Jun 1 to protest against the transportation of coal to Yellur.

The rail roko lasted for about fifteen minutes. The Mathsyagandha Express was on its way from Ernakulum to Mumbai.

They alleged that the Konkan railway is transporting coal illegally on open wagons from the New Mangalore Port to the UPCL project at Yellur. The Konkan railway has not been following the guidelines chalked out by the pollution control board, they said.

They reasoned that carrying coal on open wagons poses a threat to the environment as well as to life as coal is easily inflammable. They also threatened to step up their agitation if the authorities failed to take action on the matter.

A memorandum was submitted to station master and the superintendent outlining the problems arising from coal tranportation and urging the authorities to put a stop to it.

About 200 activists including women took part in the protest.

Among those present were Nagesh Bhat of Nandikuru Jana Jagruthi Samiti, former gram panchayat president Shashidhar Shetty, former ZP member Neetha Gururaj.