A meeting convened by Mangaluru Smart City Ltd., (MSCL) to provide information on the ongoing Netravati Riverfront Promenade Project ended amid chaos with port land occupants raising objections to how the meeting was convened on Wednesday, January 31, here.
MSCL general manager K.S. Arun Prabha began introducing the project to the audience in the beginning and said it was being undertaken on about 26 acres of land belonging to the Ports Department. The 2.1-km promenade between Netravati bridge and Bolara sea face in the first phase was an attempt to bring people closer to the river, thereby bonding the both. Many cities across the world that have rivers have similar system, he told the meeting.
However, one of the members of the audience raised an objection saying the project was being executed by keeping the local residents in the dark. Many people, including those of tile factories, fishermen, and others, would get affected by the project, he said. Another member of the audience said the MSCL should have given at least a week’s notice for this ‘public consultation’ meeting that should have been attended by the Deputy Commissioner and other district officials.
An occupant of the port land alleged that the MSCL had no environmental clearance for the project. Environmental activist Dinesh Holla said construction of concrete retaining wall for the project could trigger artificial floods.
Mr. Prabha’s attempts to inform the audience that the meeting was not a public hearing and that further meetings would be called did not go well with the audience with many speaking in loud voice. The meeting thus ended abruptly.
Social activist G. Hanumanth Kamath later told reporters that the project should be implemented to prevent encroachment of the riverbed by vested interests. With many people visiting the riverfront, illegal activities too would be curbed. The land belonged to the government and there was no bar for the MSCL to execute the project, he said.
