Residents blame pollution board for leakage

KARWAR: The Baithkol Aligadda residents forum on Saturday alleged that the port, revenue and pollution control board officials were responsible for the hazard caused by the leakage of molasses from storage tanks at Karwar port.
Addressing the media, Preetam Masurkar, president of the forum said that though the port officials argued that the private land in Baithkol was acquired for the development of the port, the land was still in the possession of the local people and no compensation was given to them.
He said that the Karwar port did not have approval to store the hazardous and the inflammable materials. He said that in Friday's meeting with the deputy commissioner, the port officials publicly agreed that there is no rescue facility in the port in case of leakage of inflammable and hazardous material stored.
Preetam said that the tank in which the molasses were stored leaked and many people in the vicinity became ill and were shifted to hospital. The company owners threatened the people of dire consequences and told people that it belongs to an influential political leader.
Blaming Basavaraju, tahashildar of Karwar of trying to help the errant company, Preetam said that after the leakage the tahashilar prepared a panchanama and took the signature of the public. B N Krishnaiah, deputy commissioner of Uttara Kannada who was present at that time showed a rare gesture and signed the paper as a witness to show concern towards the public. The panchanama had the names of three accused - the owner of the company, manager and operation manager on it.
But while submitting the report to the assistant commissioner, the tahashildar removed two names from the panchanama and only the manager's name was in it. Preetam demanded action against the tahashildar for trying to cover up the misdeeds of the company.
He said that the matter was brought to the notice of the DC and that he had assured appropriate action against the guilty.
Hussein M Sheikh and Vijay Kumar Patil, secretaries of the forum were present.