Mangalore: The struggle of Melakoppala and Athrebailu residents got a hefty support from Pejawar Mutt Swamiji(81) near Kuloor in their struggle against MSEZ to stop dumping mud into Kuloor Phalguni river, which raised the water level by 3 Feet to create a fear of man-made floods on Monday.

Vishwesha Teertha assured the residents that he would speak to CM DVS Gowda for a fair solution to the issue, during a visit he made here. MSEZ workers were dumping mud in the river along a KM., stretch to widen the KIOCL-Jokatte Railway Gate Road that runs parallel to the river. The mud caused the waters to rise, and in rainy season the level could be harmful to residents living on banks in front of the road. A memorandum had been given to DC, the residents told Swamiji.

On April 13, dozens of these local residents, led by Arun and Sunil D’Souza, besides others, had staged a protest near Kuloor bridge and stopped workers hired by MSEZ from dumping mud in the river.

Pejawar Swamiji observed that MSEZ cannot create problems for local residents, who are backed also by SDPI and DYFI, as mud dumped could disrupt river flow to create floods in monsoon.