Pics: Nayana JC

Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (NJC)

Mangaluru, Oct 23: The Bajpe Nagarika Hitarakshana Vedike has demanded that the four-acre settlement at Shanthi Gudde, housing around 105 poor families, be included in the buffer zone around Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL), alleging decades of neglect and serious health concerns among residents.

Addressing a press meet, Siraj Beltangady, president of the Nagarika Hitarakshana Vedike, said the government had allotted the land to the families around 50 years ago, with approximately 2.5 cents for each family. At the time of allotment, there were no industrial boundaries in the area.

However, following the establishment of MRPL, the company's compound wall came to enclose the residential settlement, leaving the families struggling with the consequences of living close to the industrial facility. The residents have reportedly been fighting for their rights for the past 20 years without receiving a permanent solution.

The Vedike alleged that industrial emissions, including sulphur coke and coke particles, have contributed to serious health concerns among residents, including chronic skin diseases, heart ailments and cancer. The representatives expressed concern over the environmental conditions and the proximity of industrial operations to the residential area.

The organisation also raised concerns over the alleged failure to implement buffer zone requirements around the industrial facility. While authorities have initiated proceedings to enforce buffer zone norms in surrounding areas, including Jokatte, the four-acre settlement housing the 105 families has allegedly been left out.

Speaking at the press meet, Krishnaraj said official notices concerning the area, including references to survey numbers 28/2 and 28/3, had been issued around 2007 during the tenure of the then Surathkal MLA. However, no concrete action had been taken to resolve the issue in the intervening years.

He further stated that representatives who met the deputy commissioner were surprised by the lack of progress on the earlier notices. According to him, the deputy commissioner expressed concern that the process had not been completed despite the passage of nearly two decades.

The Vedike is demanding that the four-acre Shanthi Gudde settlement be included in the proposed buffer zone, which currently covers approximately 27 acres in the surrounding area. With the inclusion of the settlement, the total area would extend to 31 acres, bringing the 105 families under the proposed buffer zone.

The representatives said the affected families had approached the organisation seeking support after years of struggle. The Vedike has now taken up their cause, demanding justice and a permanent solution to their long-standing grievances.

Thanking the print and electronic media for highlighting the issue, Krishnaraj warned that the 105 families were prepared to launch a large-scale, non-violent hunger strike if the authorities failed to provide a fair resolution.

The press meet was attended by Ismail Engineer, vice-president; Nisar Karavali, general secretary; Vasantha, vice-president; and members Krishnaraj, Rafeeq and Shishukumar, who are associated with the agitation over the Shanthi Gudde issue.