Bantwal MLA Rajesh Naik Pulls Up Officials Over National Highway Littering and Netravathi River Pollution

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Bantwal : Expressing strong displeasure over the recurring public complaints regarding extensive garbage dumping along the B.C. Road–Bengaluru National Highway, Bantwal MLA Rajesh Naik Ulippadiguttu issued a stern ultimatum to local authorities. Directly confronting Bantwal Municipal Chief Officer Tirthaprasad, the legislator questioned the efficiency of the department and demanded to know why the persistent issue had remained unresolved despite continuous public grievances. Emphasizing that the unsightly waste piles along the highway stretches, including Panemangalore, tarnish the constituency’s reputation and pose severe risks to public health and the environment, he ordered immediate clearance of the waste alongside the implementation of permanent preventive measures.

To deter littering, the MLA mandated strict legal action without leniency against anyone found discarding waste along the roadsides. He instructed officials to identify chronic dumping hot spots and install CCTV cameras, assuring that the surveillance installation costs would be fully funded through his MLA Local Area Development grant. Issuing a final warning, the legislator stated that if garbage accumulation persists even after the installation of cameras, it will be deemed a total administrative failure, and he will formally recommend disciplinary action against the responsible officials to the District Commissioner.

The lawmaker also took serious note of the critical ecological degradation of the Netravathi River, voicing deep concern over untreated sewage water being discharged directly into the waterbody from various commercial complexes, residential apartments, hotels, and shops across Bantwal Baddakatte, Gudinabali, and Talapady. He explicitly instructed authorities to initiate legal proceedings against defaulting establishments, including municipal-owned commercial complexes that violate waste disposal norms. Reminding the officials that the Netravathi River is a crucial lifeline supplying drinking water to thousands of people across the region including Mangaluru, he asserted that there would be no compromise on water pollution and called for the immediate filing of criminal cases against violators.

Noting that similar guidelines issued during previous meetings were ignored, the MLA urged the administrative machinery to function with a greater sense of accountability toward public health. He also extended a strict warning to Taluk Panchayat Executive Officer Sachin Kumar regarding garbage issues in rural pockets, directing routine cleanliness drives and uncompromising penalties at the Gram Panchayat level. Furthermore, as a strategic waste management solution for the constituency, he directed officials to segregate dry and wet waste from problematic areas and transport it directly to his Oddoor Farm House in Ganjimutt for scientifically backed, eco-friendly disposal. Concluding his address, the MLA called for active public cooperation, stating that achieving a “Clean Bantwal” requires citizens to abandon roadside dumping and for officials to execute their duties with absolute rigor.