Expressions !: My 1st Sem Environmental Science Project :

MANGALORE :A NATURAL HEAVEN IN THE PAST BUT NOW A MANMADE HELL

Brief History: Mangalore is also known as “Mangala Puram “(the town of the goddess Mangala Devi) or the “Land of the saint Parashurama “. According to the legend, The Sahyadri Kanda visualizes that Parashurama threw his axe into the Sea and retrieved as much land as the Axe flew from the King of Sea. A marvelous fantasy that has inspired and mesmerized the coastal folks for hundreds of years. The retrieved coastal land is called ‘Parashurama Srishti’ (creation) or Kshetra (land) Another legend has it that one of the important protagonist of the Nath cult Matsvendranath had arrived at Mangalore with the princess of Kerala ''Premaladevi''. He converted the princess to his cult and named her ''Mangaladevi''. Hence Mangalore gets the name from the goddess .It has been known for its natural and scenic beauties from the past.

Current position: Now, Mangalore is one of the fastest growing cities in India, with a population of more than five lakh. A district with highest number of educational institutions in the world, paradise for realtor sector, infrastructural hub for some of the most reputed national as well as international institutions and enterprising people. A town which is always in the news for its cultural diversity is now in the limelight for its various environmental issues.

Environmental issues surrounding Mangalore:

Mangalore is one among the 43 most polluted industrial centers in the country according to the study published recently. It is the most polluted city in Karnataka according to the survey. The study has concluded that those centres with a CEPI score in excess of 70 have been “critically” polluted. Mangalore with a score of 73.68 is in the list of cities that are critically polluted which is a major concern for the environmental activists and nature lovers. The major reason for this is the petrochemical industries surrounding Mangalore. Mrpl, mcf, kiocl are a few industries to name among them.

These are the major contributors to the pollution.

Below mentioned are a few reviews of people on the ill effects of this Environmental Pollution.

§ The Nandini River that flows past Soorinje was teeming with fish ten years ago, says Sundar Shetty (60), a farmer. “But, ever since these companies came, the fish catch has become negligible,” he added.

§ Upendra Hosbet, president of the Parisaraasakta Okkuta, says the fish catch in the Arabian Sea has also come down.

§ Imtiaz Kana, a resident, also said that several residents had developed skin allergies. During the visit of a team of experts from the Ministry of Environment and Forests to the villages around Bajpe on February 3, 2008, several farmers complained that their yield was getting affected adversely owing to the effluent discharge from nearby industries.

Another main environmental issue the city is facing is that related to it’s modernization of roads.

While modern roads are welcomed by the Mangalorean community, the problems associated with these progressive works seem to be endless.

Some of the problems related to this are:

· Primarily due to the concrete blanket and lack of proper drainage system the monsoon rain water fails to seep as groundwater. Moreover since Mangalore is a coastal area the rain water easily flows into the sea converting itself to non-potable salty water.

· While widening the roads several trees which earlier used to serve as shade for pedestrians and also serve as air plant have also been cut -off.

· In the absence of trees the fertile soil of the land is also getting eroded into the ocean. On the other side even the ocean on account of global warming is encroaching upon the land.

· Also modification or development is not done in the traditional drainage link as a result; the manholes and drainage system are also constantly blocked by these litters making its purpose useless. The rain water also scatters all the filth in its path making the entire surrounding unhygienic.

In addition to this, the nagarjuna power project, the MSEZ phase 1 expansion are the projects that are being taken up inspite of serious opposition from the environmental activists.

Solution:

Proper drainage system should me made.
Proper facility should be made to avoid the accumulation of rain water in the roads resulting to manholes.
Waste management system should be undertaken.
Waste water treatment should be undertaken before dumping the waste from the industries into the rivers.
The poisonous gases which are liberated by the industries should be first purified before letting them into the atmosphere.
Unauthorized acquisition of fertile land from the farmers for the sake of building new industries should be stopped.
World environment day, earth day, vanamahotsava and other social activities should be encouraged.
Rain water harvestment should be undertaken.
Inspite of being titled the most polluted city in Karnataka, phase 1 works for the Mangalore special economic zone (MSEZ) are in progress. This should be immediately stopped. The people should join hands with the environmental activists, nature lovers, and other organizations in this regard.