BELAGAVI: The Goa State Pollution Control Board's (GSPCB) proposal to offload its biomedical waste at the Common Bio-Medical Waste Treatment Facility (CBMWTF) at Hubballi-Dharwad has evoked sharp reactions in twin cities.
While advising Goa to treat its own hazardous waste, a prominent leader of the farming community in Karnataka has decided to serve a 15-day ultimatum to authorities in Karnataka to cancel such an agreement with Goa.
“My organisation will not allow the treatment of Goa's biomedical waste in Hubballi-Dharwad. I would advise Goa to treat its hazardous waste in its own jurisdiction and not add to the woes of the people of the twin cities of Hubballi-Dharwad,” cautioned Karnataka Rajya Rayata Sanghatane (KRRS) President Kodihalli Chandrasekhar, while speaking to The Goan.
Chandrashekhar, who was in Belagavi on Thursday to address a farmers rally, was reacting to the proposed arrangements by GSPCB to process its biomedical waste at the CBMWTF in Hubballi-Dharwad.
“People of north Karnataka, including the towns of Hubbali-Dharwad, are facing serious water scarcity due to less rainfall this year. Treatment of biomedical waste is not only hazardous for the people of the region, it will also create new environmental issues in the twin cities,” said Chandrashekhar, when The Goan brought the issue to his notice.
It may be noted that the CBMWTF has plans to treat about 180 tonnes of bio-medical waste from Goa at the facility which is set up between Hubballi and Dharwad. Though CBMWTF authorities had offered to set up the facility in Goa, the GSPCB wants the bio-medical waste to be lifted from Goa to Karnataka.
Responding to reports that KSPCB authorities have given their nod to these arrangements, Chandrashekhar said, “I will write to authorities in Karnataka to cancel such an agreement with Goa and we will give them an ultimatum of 15 days to do so. If needed, the matter will be taken up with the ministry concerned at the state level.”
Meanwhile, farmer leaders from north Karnataka who were present for the public meeting in Belagavi on Thursday have also condemned KSPCB authorities for entering into such an agreement with Goa.
“On the one hand, Goa does not want us to use water from the Kalsa-Bhandura, which originates in our own jurisdiction. And to add insult to injury, Goa now wants to send its hazardous waste to our state,” was the sharp reaction of Shivaputrappa Pujari, a farmer leader from Savadatti.
“How can we allow such a move by Goa? We are already suffering due to acute water scarcity which is expected to intensify further in coming days. By treating Goa’s biomedical waste, we do not want to face more problems,” Pujari told The Goan, echoing the concerns of other farmer leaders at the meeting.
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WON'T ALLOW
OFFLOADING
IN THEIR CITIES
* Leader of farming community cites hazards from treatment of biomedical waste
* He fears it will create new environmental issues in Hubballi and Dharwad
* Will serve a 15-day ultimatum to authorities in Karnataka to cancel pact with Goa * Farmers from North Karnataka, too assail the agreement between the two States
