A team of members of K.R. Pet Town Municipal Council (TMC) made a surprise visit to the Coromandel Sugars in Makavalli village in K.R. Pet taluk on Sunday and instructed the sugar mill to install modern technology to reduce the level of water pollution.
Led by K.R. Hemanth Kumar, leader of opposition at the TMC, they inspected the waste-water storage and purification tank at the mill and instructed officials not to release wastewater into the Hemavati.
Allegations faced
The mill had been facing allegations of directly discharging wastewater into the river. Residents of Makavalli and surrounding villages had staged protests against the mill in recent years. The Regional Office of the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) had also issued several notices to the mill on charges of violating pollution norms.
Such complaints had prompted the TMC members to visit the mill, Mr. Kumar told presspersons.
The mill has taken measures to reduce water pollution to some extent. But, it should not release used water without purification as it would contaminate groundwater, he said.
The mill must comply with the conditions of KSPCB and other agencies concerned, the TMC leader said. The officials said that the mill has been abiding the conditions and would adopt modern technologies to bring down pollution level.
Nagaraju, Dinesh and other councillors were present.
