Bengaluru, June 18: Environmentalist Dr AN Yellappa Reddy on Wednesday expressed concern over the rampant plastic pollution on Nandi Hills by youth from Bengaluru during the weekends.
Interacting with media persons, Dr Yellappa Reddy said thousands of youths visit Nandi Hills during the weekends and throw empty liquor bottles and used condoms on Nandi Hills thus polluting the environment. “The volunteers have cleared 500 tractor loads of plastic, including one tractor load of used condoms, in five years. The state government did not pay money to the workers engaged by the volunteers. The cleaning of plastic and condoms was done by using the CSR Fund,” Dr Reddy said.
He has wondered why the youth go to Nandi Hills for boozing while Bengaluru has bars and restaurants at every nook and corner of the city. “Nandi Hills is a sacred place with two temples. It is the origin of five rivers and the need of the hour is to protect Nandi Hills and rejuvenate the five rivers. I want the state government to stop quarrying around Nandi Hills to protect the environment,” he said.
Intensify agitation
The members of Universal Human Rights Service Foundation (UHRSF) have decided to intensify the on-going agitation by not only creating agitation but also involving the public, especially students and children.
Extending support to the agitation, director SV Rajendra Singh Babu, has said that he wanted, on behalf of Sandalwood, to assure support to the on-going agitation.
“I want the UHRSF to organise a massive rally of school and children and farmers in the city and stage a protest in front of Chief Minister’s residence to cancel the approval given for constructing the rope way. I want the organisers, apart from filing a public interest litigation (PIL) in the High Court, to approach the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to direct the state government to protect Nandi Hills,” Rajendra Singh Babu said.
Agitation is only solution
Emphasising the need of agitation, Sunanda Jayaram, a senior farmer leader known for fighting against the construction of an amusement park at Krishna Raja Sagar reservoir near Mysuru, has said the state government has cancelled many of its decisions due to opposition from the public. “We have succeeded in ensuring the state government to recall or cancel some of the Cabinet decisions. I want Nandi Gram Panchayat to pass a resolution opposing the construction of the rope way on Nandi Hills. We can send the copy of the resolution to all IAS officers, ministers, MLAs and the Chief Minister demanding the cancellation of the rope way on Nandi Hills,” Sunanda Jayaram said.
Legal battle
Universal Human Rights Service Foundation president CD Kiran has said that the foundation has filed a PIL in the High Court seeking a direction to the state government to save Nandi Hills. “I want the state government to cancel the plan to construct the rope way. The state government has to make arrangements for holding a public consultation on this issue. We will not allow any activities and programmes that ruin the environment,” said Kiran.
