Nelligudde Parisara Ulisi Samiti, Miyar, Karkala, has opposed setting up of a cashew shell oil extracting factory, under private initiative, at Nelligudde.
The samiti, led by its president Prashanth Poojary, in a memorandum submitted to Karkala MLA and Minister for Energy, Kannada and Culture V. Sunil Kumar on Saturday expressed fear that phenolic compounds in the smoke that would emanate from the factory would be injurious to human health.
It urged the Minister not to allow the factory to start its operation at Nelligudde as the area had about 450 houses. The samiti is apprehensive that if the factory came up, it will affect the health of nearly 600 students of Morarji Desai Residential High School and Pre-University College, nearby.
The samiti said that its members have been fighting against the move to set up the factory from the last four months by taking up the matter at different levels of the district administration.
Mr. Poojary said they had raised the issue in the Miyar Gram Panchayat meetings, yet there were veiled attempts to open the factory though the panchayat in its Gram Sabha meeting had decided not to allow the factory.
“An industrial yard has been set up at Nelligudde village, which is not suitable for an industrial area,” he told the Minister.
Mr. Kumar, who received the memorandum, assured the villagers of proactive measures to ensure that they would not be taken for a ride.
