Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (SB)
Kinnigoli, Oct 15: Residents of Kinnigoli town staged a collective demonstration outside the Kinnigoli town panchayat office, protesting the newly constructed wet-waste dump yard at Mennabettu and demanding its immediate closure. The protesters submitted a formal memorandum to panchayat officials, outlining serious public health, environmental and procedural concerns.
Addressing the gathering, Shalet Pinto, chairperson of the Karnataka Ecotourism Development Board, strongly criticised local authorities for establishing the facility without consulting the public.
“This dump yard was established covertly, without taking local residents or public representatives into confidence. It is located in close proximity to a temple, a Daivasthana, an educational institution and hundreds of residences, in an area naturally prone to heavy rainwater runoff. With no elected local governing body currently in place, how could administrative officials grant permission for a waste facility in the middle of a residential zone without due diligence? If this is not stopped immediately, the authorities will face widespread public agitation,” Pinto stated.
Sandeep Shetty, president of the Anti-Dump Yard Committee, highlighted the growing sanitation and environmental risks posed to the neighbourhood.
“The plant began operations abruptly at Kinnigoli junction. It has already begun affecting public health due to pervasive foul odours and unhygienic conditions. The facility is located close to a church, a mosque, a temple, a school and a public bus stop, directly affecting nearly 400 families living in the vicinity. Leachate and untreated wastewater will seep into the groundwater table, contaminating private wells and borewells that supply drinking water. During the rains, runoff carries toxic waste across the region, threatening local farmland and agriculture. Today’s protest is peaceful, but we will intensify our agitation if our demands are ignored,” he said.
Adding to the objections, local resident Deepak Rodrigues condemned the administrative lapse.
“Officials cleared and operationalised this waste plant unilaterally. Neither was prior notice issued nor was a Grama Sabha convened to seek community input. The administration must be held accountable for this reckless decision,” he said.
Other community leaders, including Robert Rosario, Sudhakar and Hemacharya, also addressed the gathering. The demonstration was led by town panchayat members Sunitha Rodrigues, Kokila and Santan D’Souza, alongside local residents Dinesh Acharya, Harish, Santhosh Acharya, Rajan D’Costa, Hilda D’Souza and Shayan Kumar.
The protest concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Prakash Acharya.