Udupi: Villagers of Kanchinabailu in Hirebettu Gram Panchayat limits have demanded that the ready mix plant of Chettinad Cement Corporation Ltd, be closed down,  on the grounds that it caused environmental pollution. A huge protest meeting was also organised in the village on June 21, Thursday under the leadership  of  local leaders Shivaprasad Hegde and Prabhaker Hegde.

The agitators alleged that the plant did not possess any valid licence from the local Gram Panchayat. They further stated that the plant was causing environment pollution and that agricultural lands in the area have also been affected due to settling of dust particles of cement from the plant.

Shivaprasad Hegde pointed out that  nearly 40 to 45 farmers had their land measuring upto 500 acres in the vicinity of the ready mix plant and that they have been adversely affected.

An officer of the plant Lakshminarayana informed the protestors that the land where the plant was located at present belonged to MAHE  and that the plant authorities have requested MAHE to provide an alternate plot, considering the opposition from locals.

Hundreds of farmers,  Sharat Shetty, President of the local Gram Panchayat, Kusuma Poojari, Vice President as well as presidents of nearby gram panchayats took part in the protest.