Newskarnataka-Mangalore
Udupi :The 15th Udupi Zilla Panchayat general body meeting was held in the district on Tuesday February 25 which highlighted problems related to endosulfan. The meeting witnessed a confused state between the officer of the Department of Health and Family Welfare and the members regarding the distribution of government aids to the endosulfan victims.
ZP member raised the issue and said that the Supreme court order is been miss- interpreted. The medical and other allocation should be extended to all who is effected with the endosulfan decease and not based on ration card and the Karnataka Cashew Development Corporation (KCDC) List.
Ramachandra Bairy, District Health and Family Welfare Officer, said that the department conducted a health check-up camps to identify the victims.15 health check-up camps had been put up in 35 villages where endosulfan was sprayed. In Kundapur taluk highest 29 villages, in Udupi taluk 5 and in Karkala taluk 9 villages are included to provide health aids.
But ZP members demanded to include nearby villages where the endosulfan had been not sprayed directly but polluted in the air and water especially in Thrasi , because it has 146 hector cashew plantation.
Upendra Nayak (ZP president) said the KCDC list or ration card should not be the eligibility to get government support, but considering the area which is affected.
Geethanjali Suvarna said that people of Padubidri are scared with the plan of ACC cement blending unit. She added that public should be given complete details regarding the environment safety measures.
As Thermal Power Plant of Udupi is more concerned to distribute electricity to other districts than to Udupi. Now within few months exams will begin and load shedding is already happening every day. They demanded to pass an order to provide 24 hour electricity to the district and then to others.
Regarding western ghats of Karkala area, members demanded for a re- survey. They also demanded the boundary of western ghats should be based on areas not based on the villages.
The officials appealed that no village will be effected reversely because of western ghat survey, instead it supports farming.
