Mangaluru: The Bajpe Nagarika Hitarakshana Vedike has demanded the inclusion of the four-acre Shanthi Gudde settlement, home to around 105 economically disadvantaged families, in the proposed buffer zone around Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL), citing alleged industrial pollution, health concerns and decades of administrative inaction.
Addressing a press meet, Vedike president Siraj Beltangady said the families had been allotted land by the government nearly 50 years ago, with each family receiving approximately 2.5 cents. At the time, the area had no industrial boundaries, he said.
The organisation alleged that the establishment of MRPL subsequently brought industrial infrastructure close to the settlement, with the company’s compound wall enclosing the residential area and leaving families concerned about their living conditions.
According to the Vedike, residents have been seeking a permanent solution to their grievances for nearly 20 years.
Residents raise health and pollution concerns
The Vedike alleged that industrial emissions, including sulphur coke and coke particles, have contributed to serious health concerns among residents of Shanthi Gudde. These reportedly include chronic skin diseases, heart ailments and cancer.
The representatives expressed concern over the proximity of industrial operations to homes and called for measures to address the environmental risks faced by the families.
The allegations have strengthened the organisation’s demand for the settlement to be brought within the proposed buffer zone around the refinery. The health concerns cited by the residents would require appropriate environmental and medical assessments to establish the extent of any link between industrial emissions and reported illnesses.
The Vedike also questioned why the settlement had allegedly been excluded from buffer zone-related action in surrounding areas.
Earlier notices yet to result in a solution
Krishnaraj, who spoke at the press meet, said official notices relating to the area, including survey numbers 28/2 and 28/3, had reportedly been issued around 2007, during the tenure of the then Surathkal MLA.
However, he alleged that no concrete action had been taken to resolve the matter despite the passage of nearly two decades.
According to Krishnaraj, representatives who recently met the deputy commissioner were surprised by the lack of progress on the earlier notices. He said the deputy commissioner had also expressed concern that the process remained incomplete despite the considerable time that had elapsed.
The Vedike said the delay had prolonged the uncertainty faced by the 105 families, who have been seeking clarity and a lasting resolution to their concerns.
The organisation has urged the authorities to review the earlier proceedings and take appropriate steps to address the settlement’s exclusion from the proposed buffer zone.
Demand to expand buffer zone from 27 to 31 acres
The Vedike has called for the inclusion of the entire four-acre Shanthi Gudde settlement in the proposed buffer zone, which currently covers approximately 27 acres in the surrounding area.
If the demand is accepted, the total area would increase to around 31 acres, bringing the 105 families within the proposed buffer zone.
The representatives said the affected residents had approached the organisation after years of struggling to secure a resolution. The Vedike has since taken up their cause and is seeking intervention from the district administration and other relevant authorities.
The demand centres on ensuring that the settlement’s residents are included in the measures being considered for areas around MRPL, rather than being left out of the process.
Vedike warns of non-violent hunger strike
The organisation has warned that the affected families are prepared to launch a large-scale, non-violent hunger strike if the authorities fail to provide a fair and permanent resolution.
The representatives appealed for timely intervention, stating that the families had waited for years for their concerns to be addressed.
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.
The Vedike thanked print and electronic media organisations for highlighting the residents’ grievances and urged the authorities to act on the matter.
The demand now places the focus on the district administration’s handling of the earlier notices, the proposed buffer zone’s boundaries and the steps required to address the settlement’s long-standing concerns.