People panic over dumping of waste at Mangalore by MRPL

[email protected] (The Hindu)
December 8, 2012

People_Panic

Mangalore, December 8: The discovery of several truckloads of waste from crude oil refinery processes being dumped close to a stream outside Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemical Limited (MRPL) on Thursday triggered fear and panic among people of Modapadavu on the outskirts of Mangalore.

Irate people of the village blocked two trucks, each of which dumped 9.83 tonnes of ball-shaped and rod-shaped chemical catalysts, demanding that MRPL sterilise the area.

One of the drivers said at least 25 truckloads of chemicals from the storage department of MRPL had been dumped and covered with mud in the past three days on the site where the company was developing a playground for children.

“We saw trucks proceeding to the site carrying waste. A black liquid was leaking from the truck. We followed it, and saw them dumping it close to the stream,” said Ramesh Poojary, a farmer. He alerted the people of Modapadavu and Kuthetoor, where more than 20 households border an iron-coloured stream that follows from the hills surrounding MRPL. The discovery triggered fears in the villages, where in the past there have been instances of underground oil leakage from the refinery making its way to the stream. People of the villages, and gram and taluk panchayat officials gathered at the site demanding that MRPL remove the waste. “There is something nefarious in this. Why would they do this kind of operation covertly, and then cover it up with mud?” Thomas Fernandes, former president of Kuthetoor panchayat, said.

A team from the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board took samples from the site, while police officials directed MRPL authorities to remove the waste. Surprisingly, MRPL security personnel, who rushed to the spot after people refused to let the trucks leave, said they were unaware of the dumping.

Officials from MRPL technical division claimed that the inert alumina ceramic balls were “non-hazardous. The material do not pose any harm, and is being dumped in our land. It is being used as filler while levelling playgrounds or tarring roads,” said an official.

However, a worker at the refinery, said during the refining process of the oil, the ceramic balls get coated with a toxic chemicals and carbon.



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News Network
February 16,2020

Mangaluru, Feb 16: An elderly woman from Tamil Nadu was on Saturday reunited with her daughter and son after 14 years at the Mangaluru's White Doves destitute home.

"Mary only knew her name when she came here 10 years ago. Recently, she told us about her home town," Corrine Rusquinha, founder of White Doves told media.
Mary had gone missing 14 years ago from her hometown Kortampet in Tamil Nadu.

"Ten years ago, she was spotted by Mangaluru police who brought her to White Doves home late one evening. Initially, she could only speak Tamil, so it was presumed she was from Tamil Nadu. She was on psychiatric treatment," Rusquinha said.

A few days back, a visiting priest at the White Doves home spoke to Mary in Tamil and asked about her hometown.

"Surprisingly, she could recall the name of her hometown, following which the visiting priest contacted the pastor at Kortampet. Mary's family, including her daughter Gnana Anthony, who is a paramedic student in Coimbatore, was informed about Mary," she said.

Soon after, Gnana and her elder brother came to Mangaluru to take their mother back to their home.

Mary's husband Jhonson, who worked as a cook, had died within a year of losing his wife.

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News Network
February 29,2020

New Delhi, Feb 28: They could hear shots being fired, sense smell of property and vehicles being burnt and feel the stones being pelted. Despite the mayhem that unfolded just a few steps away from their doorsteps, many Muslim households did not feel unsafe due to their Hindu neighbours during the violence in Delhi earlier this week.

Tarannum, a resident of Chand Bagh, said she cannot thank her neighbour Nem Singh enough for saving 15 members of her family that fateful night of February 25. Singh, an auto-rickshaw driver, lives right across her house.

"I could hear the thumping on the door. Our neighbour came to rescue us and assured us that no harm would come to our family, " said Tarannum who lives in lane number 7.

"We thought khayamat has come. Our kids too got scared. Those indulging in rioting are just terrorists. Hindu brothers gave us shelter and saved us. How should I say that they are Hindus or Muslims? When we were under attack, these Hindu brothers provided us safety. We should not fight, " said Tarannum while recounting the horror.

She said a mob has no face, no religion. "I want to tell everyone mob has no name, no religion. Kaun sa pathar kisne mara kisko laga pata hai kya? Pathar ne mazhab dekha kya? (Which stone was thrown by whom, who was hit, does anyone know. Stone does not have a religion," she said.

Singh said he could not bear the wailings of his neighbour's kids.

"Dar to tha par apni gali mein kisi ko pareshan nahi hone dena tha. (I too was afraid but I could not have let them hurt my neighbours)," said Singh when asked if he could have also been attacked for giving shelter to Tarannum family.

"I told them that the rioters will have to go through us first. We all were equally scared," recalled Singh.

Jameel, another local resident, said that his Hindu neighbours were even ready to sacrifice their lives to save him from the ruthless terrorists hired by pro-CAA politicians to unleash violence against Muslims.

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News Network
January 8,2020

Bengaluru, Jan 8: CISF personnel at Bengaluru airport on Wednesday detained two persons after they found two live bullets in their baggage during the routine inspection.

The detained person, said to be of a Mangaluru origin who arrived at the airport on Wednesday morning has claimed to be serving the American military. His mother who had arrived with him too has been taken into custody.

According to officials during the questioning, the man said that he was on a leave and that as he had hurriedly packed his belongings at the last minute there was a possibility that the bullets might have fallen into his bag mistakenly.

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