District administration urged to make Mysuru environmental-friendly

U.N. Ravikumar, environmentalist, inaugurated the consultative meeting on environment conservation in Mysuru conducted by RLHP on Thursday.
| Photo Credit: M.A. Sriram

A district-level consultative committee meeting on the conservation of the environment was held in the city on Thursday and the authorities were urged to make Mysuru environmental friendly.

The meeting was organised by Rural Literacy and Health Programme (RLHP) institute and Karnataka State Youth Network.

A memorandum was submitted to the authorities urging them to take steps to reduce pollution in Kukkarahallikere, Lingabudhikere, Undabatthikere and Karanjikere. The stakeholders sought diversion of untreated sewage water and removal of silt to revive the water bodies.

The attention of the authorities was drawn to the lack of maintenance of UGDs and stormwater drains in Mysuru which, the RLHP said, was having a negative bearing on public health. Hence an appeal was made to the district administration to clear the encroachment of stormwater drains apart from strengthening the UGD network.

In a bid to make Mysuru more eco-friendly the stakeholders sought importance to cycling tracks in the city besides a crackdown on polluting vehicles. This will also help reduce congestion on city roads which was adding to air and noise pollution, the stakeholders added.

One of the vexed issues plaguing the Mysuru City Corporation is the inability to cope with the increase in waste being generated in the city. The garbage collection and disposal system was found wanting as evident in garbage mound piling up in various residential areas. Hence the stakeholders wanted the authorities to pay more attention to the crucial issue.

A few other demands made by the stakeholders included making rainwater harvesting compulsory in new buildings, clearing encroachments of parks and open spaces, an end to conversion of agricultural land for non-agricultural purposes on the city outskirts, a strict implementation of ban on single use plastic across the city; encouragement to use of public transport system by enhancing their efficiency so as to address the problems of noise and air pollution apart from reducing traffic congestion, conservation of Chamundi Hills among others.

U.N. Ravikumar, environmentalist was one of the resource persons and inaugurated the consultative meeting.