Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Sep 1: In a report submitted to the high court, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board confirmed that drinking water found in and around Pachanady landfill area is highly contaminated.

Observing that several of the pollutants found in the drinking water in the area are much in excess of the prescribed limits, the high court asked the state government and Mangaluru city corporation to take immediate steps to address the problems.

Hearing of the public interest litigation filed by Karnataka State Legal Services Authority was conducted by the division bench presided over by the acting chief justice, Satishchandra Sharma, on Tuesday August 31. The bench observed that supplying contaminated water to the people of the city is a serious matter. It also noted that there is no response from the state government on the issue. During the hearing, the bench said that as per the report of the board, ammonia and iron content found in the water around Pachanady is in excess of danger level. Poisonous chemical traces were also found in the effluents there. The report has confirmed that the water here is highly contaminated, it observed.

The advocates for the state government and Mangaluru city corporation advocates sought time to submit response to the report. The court posted the matter for hearing on September 13 and sought response about the steps undertaken to address the problems.

The court had asked the pollution control board to verify all the reports submitted by Mangaluru City Corporation and provide an opinion on the same. It had also sought a report on the steps proposed to be taken by the corporation to address the problem.