Protest against pollution of Guruganga-Viraja river on August 11 by villagers of Humnabad
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Residents of villages around Maniknagar in Humnabad taluk of Bidar district in Karnataka have resolved to stage a protest on August 11 against the alleged discharge of industrial effluents into the Guruganga-Viraja rivulet and the continued contamination of water sources in the region.The decision was taken at a meeting held at Maniknagar on August 9. Among those who attended were Humnabad MLA Siddu Patil and MLC Chandrashekar Patil.Basvantrao Vibhuti, president of Veerabhadreshwara temple committee, addressing the meeting, demanded that the district administration identify the source of pollution, stop the discharge of untreated effluents, conduct scientific testing of the rivulet and groundwater, assess the health impact on affected villagers, and establish a permanent mechanism to prevent industrial pollution. Nisar Ahmed, a resident of Gadwanti village and a cancer patient, said the contaminated water had severely affected his life. He expressed concern that continued pollution would put future generations at risk. He raised health concerns, including among pregnant women, and demanded a scientific assessment of the pollution’s impact on public health.“If we fail to prevent this pollution today, future generations will have to suffer badly by consuming this water,” Mr. Ahmed said. He urged the authorities to act before the situation worsens.Siddanna Bhushetty, representing a farmers’ organisation, Premila Tiwari and Manik Nimmane, residents of Maniknagar, alleged that untreated industrial effluents had turned the Guruganga-Viraja dark, foul-smelling and oily, while contaminating groundwater and drinking water sources in Maniknagar, Gadwanti, Molkera, Dhummansur, Hudgi and nearby villages. Guruganga-Viraja movement is non-politicalAnandraj Manik Prabhu, president of Shri Manik Prabhu Samsthan, made it clear that the movement was not political one, and would not be given a political colour.“This is a movement to conserve and protect the Guruganga-Viraja river. We neither want to indulge in politics nor allow this important issue to be politicised,” he said.Mr. Anandraj said the Guruganga-Viraja was not merely a water body but an important part of the region’s ecological, religious and cultural heritage. He stressed that the movement would continue until the pollution issue was permanently resolved.He appealed to RDPR Minister Eshwar Khandre to personally intervene in the long-pending issue and direct the authorities concerned to take decisive action. He urged the Minister to ensure that the source of pollution was identified, the water sources were scientifically tested, and industries violating environmental norms were dealt with strictly.Mr. Anandraj appealed to Mr. Khandre to provide the people of Maniknagar and the surrounding villages with permanent relief by resolving the issue by this Independence Day (August 15).The residents and farmers warned that the protest on August 11 would be followed by a larger agitation if the authorities failed to provide a concrete solution.
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