The MSEZ officials had come to the area to conduct a survey even earlier and they had to face a similar reaction from the residents even then.
A team of five members from SECSD Private Limited headed by Mr Shivaguru and Mr Selvaraj had visited the area to conduct a study on water as a part of their study of river Nethravathi at Uppinangady, Kumaradhara at Ulipu, Palguni at Gurpura and rivers at Polali. The team had to face the wrath of the local residents as the local residents learnt that the team had come to conduct a pro-SEZ survey.
The team explained to the residents that they had come to make a study on the problems faced by the fishermen due to the mixture of salt water and fresh water in the regions. After this explanation, the raged residents asked the team to leave the place immediately and warned them that they would be inviting trouble for themselves if they ever return to the place again.
The local residents had shunned the team, which had visited the area on Saturday too.
The team re-visited the area on Tuesday evening and on Wednesday morning along with SEZ officials, which made the residents suspicious. The residents united themselves and stopped the survey works.
On receiving information about the opposition, MSEZ CEO A G Pai rushed to the area. By this time former minister B Nagaraj Shetty had joined the angry residents and opposed the survey.
They held a meeting at Akhileshwara Temple, where Mr Shetty asked the officials to drop the plan of constructing the dam in the area and warned that he will not be responsible for the disaster that may take place if the officials coercively implement the plan.
Later Mr A G Pai assured that the dam for SEZ will not be built if it is causing inconvenience to the local residents.
The locals expressed their anger as there are possibilities of some areas submerging if the dam projects are implemented. The local residents are performing a special prayer at Polali temple today to keep MSEZ project at bay.
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