Government to start green police force to combat pollution

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, Aug 29: The government of Karnataka is toying with the idea of setting up a green police force to combat rising air, soil, and water pollution levels in Bangalore, said Krishna Palemar, the minister for ecology and life science.

He told reporters that 62 percent of the city’s water bodies including streams, tanks, and lakes are polluted because industrial and sewage wastes and carelessly dumped into them.

Disclosing the fact that the state government has imposed ecology protection cess against industries and mining enterprises that cause water and air pollution, Palemar said that the government will collect Rs. 250 crore this year and spend it on expanding the state’s green cover and launching sewage and industrial waste treatment projects. 

Urging people to stop using plastic bags, the minister spoke about a proposal to launch a green brigade of NGOs, student communities, and various institutions to create awareness about the dangers of plastic.