Villagers demand closure of Turamuri waste unit

Belagavi: Residents from several villages, including Turamuri, Bachi, Konewadi, Uchgaon, Sulaga, Gojaga, Mannur, Kallehol and Ambevadi, on Monday submitted a memorandum to minister Laxmi Hebbalkar, protesting against the waste disposal unit near Turamuri village in the Belagavi Rural constituency.The villagers highlighted severe hardships caused by the dumping of urban waste in the area, urging immediate intervention to shut down the facility. The entire city's waste is dumped in the Turamuri waste disposal yard.Responding to their concerns, Hebbalkar assured them of decisive action. "I have been with you from the beginning. I am positive about closing the unit and will take up the matter at all levels," she said, urging villagers not to worry.The minister said she would soon convene a meeting with the deputy commissioner and the Belagavi City Corporation commissioner to address the issue. She also criticised the lack of support from city representatives, stating that dumping urban waste in rural areas was highly condemnable.Hebbalkar further advised villagers to submit representations to MP Jagadish Shettar, MLAs Abhay Patil and Raju Sait, as well as the mayor and deputy mayor, stressing that it was unfair to shift the burden of city waste onto village communities.Meanwhile, Hebbalkar contacted urban development minister Byrathi Suresh via video call and conveyed the villagers' grievances. Responding positively, Suresh assured that necessary steps would be taken to ensure that the issue was addressed and that villagers were not inconvenienced.