Water bodies, fields deastroyed, Villagers struggle for water

Water bodies, fields deastroyed, Villagers struggle for water

Mangalore Today News Network

Hebri, Dec 3, 2015 :  The rice and coconut processing mills/works are contaminating an area spread across 200 acres of land, which is also giving rise to a bad smell, making it all the more difficult for the residents to live here.

The affected areas include villages like Kerebettu, Chara and Kalthuru. There are 150 to 200 houses here, with families exclusively dependent on agriculture for livelihood. The rice and coconut processing mill that were set up 20 years ago have now converted into a snowballing problem and are posing a threat to the environment.

The effluents from the mills post processing of paddy and coconuts run through all the channels passing in the course of the paddy fields. The fertility of the soil is affected across at least 200 acres of agriculture fields, making cultivation work difficult for the farmers. To make matters worse, the wells in the areas are contaminated, with the effluents floating on the water.

The people living in the area were, otherwise, accustomed to natural disaster as well as substandard living condition for the last 15 years. They are, however, now raising their voices as a proposal is being put forward by the owners of the mills to open new mills, for rice processing and coconut grating, opposite the existing ones.

Local residents said that the well water that they had used all their life was now totally useless and  depend on new sources for water supply. They added that there was a rivulet that connects to River Jomlutheertha, which, in turn, merges with River Seetha. River Jomlutheertha, however, is also being greatly affected by the effluents. Also the condition of the coconut trees in fields have stopped yielding.

One resident said that his family members have developed skin diseases owing to contact with the effluents in the water. No alternate to this water is available, foul smell of the effluents was contaminating the fresh air in the region.

One lady said that her family tried the water of three wells. All the wells have same polluted water.  Farming activities are also discontinued since the farm land has lost its fertility. The seedlings are not sprouting as the upper layer of the soil is covered in the discharged effluents. There used to be a ’Madaga’ that was a common storage unit for water used in the paddy fields, but, such a system does not exist any longer.

People who spent Rs 3.5 lakh to dig the water tank in farms are repenting, as he has to now repay the loan with no income.  Birds like peacocks and fish are found dead in the fields, and also river banks. The cattle that consume the water from the polluted sources suffer from stomach trouble, in addition to the plantation being destroyed.   There is no response from the Panchayat,they said with disappointment.

Udupi DC  Dr Vishal R, said that he would go through the problems faced by the people in the region. He added that he would instruct the tahsildar to inspect the region and give a report.  A complaint might have to be registered with KIADB, if need arises he stated.