“Our Village is like a lamp. It has given life to us villagers. We have in turn dedicated this life to its service. Now strong winds have started to blow from three sides and if this lamp stopped glowing we will all die with it,” said Bhuja Kundar, insisting that his real name be written.
The winds that the villagers of Vattakayar, near Hosabettu talk about refers to the Mangalore Refinery and PetroChemicals Limited (MRPL) and the Badische Anilin- und Soda-Fabrik (BASF). Towards two sides of the village MRPL’s huge tanks and chimneys can be seen buzzing endlessly and exhaling wastes into the air. On the third side are the tall walls of BSF which make it impossible to see what goes on inside.
The list of problems that the villagers are facing is endless. The waste produced in the factories is burnt at night and the smell makes breathing an unbearable process. The air pollution that these factories cause has resulted in health problems and crop failures. Heart problems have been recorded in the village for the first time. Two people have died of heart problems after the factories were set up. Breathing problems have also been noticed in the young and old. Everyone but the authorities seem to be noticing. However, the factories can not be held responsible. How will anyone attribute these health problems to the pollution being caused by these factories if no review is ever set up by the government? As long as the pollution levels are not recorded, the two deaths remain to be natural deaths.
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The list of problems that the villagers are facing is endless. The waste produced in the factories is burnt at night and the smell makes breathing an unbearable process. The air pollution that these factories cause has resulted in health problems and crop failures. Heart problems have been recorded in the village for the first time. Two people have died of heart problems after the factories were set up. Breathing problems have also been noticed in the young and old. Everyone but the authorities seem to be noticing. However, the factories can not be held responsible. How will anyone attribute these health problems to the pollution being caused by these factories if no review is ever set up by the government? As long as the pollution levels are not recorded, the two deaths remain to be natural deaths.
The immense pressure that these factories are putting on resources around the area can be noticed from the fact that the bore wells in most houses have dried forcing the villagers to fetch water from other far-off villages. The geographical location of the factories intensifies the problem. The land on which the MRPCL is built was once a village back in 1992. The villagers were moved by the Government and their farms were destroyed for the construction of the factory. The location of the village was on a lower ground as compared to the villages such as Vattakayar. The chimneys are tall but not tall enough and the polluted air stays low in the atmosphere and is being respired directly by the residents.
Protests have been aplenty but they seem to have made no effect whatsoever on these giants. The factories continue to enjoy the government’s support. While the villagers were still protesting the MRPL, 161 acres of land was allocated for the BASF. Any complaints that the residents have made regarding the smell, smoke and noise have never been looked into. Mrs. Rekha K. Shetty who has been protesting these factories for years said “The pollution Control Board of Karnataka does not answer anyone. We are only asking them to set up a pollution review of these factories.” The issue was raised by Mrs. Rekha in the Grama Sabha also to no effect. The villagers have accused the Grama Sabha of accepting money from the factories in return of not filing complaints against them. The very existence of a Grama Sabha in the area is questionable. With three factories present in such a close area it should be declared a corporation. That will lead to an increased amount of taxation on the factories. The factories receive an advantage from the existence of the Sabha and the Government is wilfully letting them enjoy it.
Protests have been aplenty but they seem to have made no effect whatsoever on these giants. The factories continue to enjoy the government’s support. While the villagers were still protesting the MRPL, 161 acres of land was allocated for the BASF. Any complaints that the residents have made regarding the smell, smoke and noise have never been looked into. Mrs. Rekha K. Shetty who has been protesting these factories for years said “The pollution Control Board of Karnataka does not answer anyone. We are only asking them to set up a pollution review of these factories.” The issue was raised by Mrs. Rekha in the Grama Sabha also to no effect. The villagers have accused the Grama Sabha of accepting money from the factories in return of not filing complaints against them. The very existence of a Grama Sabha in the area is questionable. With three factories present in such a close area it should be declared a corporation. That will lead to an increased amount of taxation on the factories. The factories receive an advantage from the existence of the Sabha and the Government is wilfully letting them enjoy it.
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| The BASF is guarded by high walls and heavy security. Mrs. Rekha was denied entrance inside the complex on several occasions, |
The reason their protests are not heard by the authorities is the lack of organization in the villagers that divides the protests. While most of the uneducated farmers have buckled under the pressure or have accepted whatever money was offered and refrained from protesting, some people like Mrs. Rekha have continued to fight. What needs to be seen now is what effect -if any- their protests in isolation will have as the MRPCL enters its third phase of construction.
Great work guys . the gramsabha point nailed it .
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