The deputy commissioner of Mangalore N S Channappa Gowda on Wednesday found himself in an embarrassing situation, when the ‘Doctorate’ prefixed to his name became a butt of joke laced with mockery.
He was tabling the progress report of the district before regional lok adalat organised by the Karnataka State Legal Services Committee. High Court judge and also the chairman of the committee D V Shylendra Kumar presided over the adalat. Member of the committee Y N Yellappa Reddy was also present.
When the deputy commissioner introduced himself, the justice wanted to know whether he was a practicing doctor. The commissioner replied in negative saying he secured a Ph D for his thesis on urban poor.
The justice often reminded the deputy commissioner that- You have earned a doctorate on urban poor, and you have to be committed for their welfare. The deputy commissioner also made a faux pas, according to the justice, when he said that the district administration has been supplying recycled water to an industry for nothing. Substantiating the claim, the officer said that the industry has donated two buses in return. Peeved at the reply, the justice took the officer to task. The officer promised to relook into the matter.
An officer of fisheries department was also at the receiving end, when he claimed increase in the production of fishes. Yellappa Reddy also a known environmentalist wondered about the increase in fishlings when the water source is polluted. The officer quoted his report according to the fishes netted in deep sea fishing. Yellappa Reddy disposed the statement saying ‘fishes netted in fishing cannot be construed as production.
Earlier the deputy commissioner said that the door-to-door collection of waste is in place in 35 of the 65 wards of Mangalore City Corporation limits. The tenders are invited for the remaining wards. He also brought it to the notice of the committee that the district has been involved in making manure out of waste and have been marketing the same under the name of ‘Laila Gold’. Besides, sanitary napkins, another venture of the district administration.
Chikmagalur
The deputy commissioner of Chikkamagalur Rangaswamy said they have been taking measures to manage soild waste complying with the rules. Deputy conservator of forest (Kudremukh) Prakash said they have planted saplings on 50 acres of land under afforestation. However, it couldn’t please the authorities on the dais.
The justice said mere plantations will not help retain forest cover, as over 300 acres of forest land was disturbed due to Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Limited (KIOCL). The Bhadra river that flows nearby has also been polluted holding mirror to the lackadaisical attitude shown by both forest and Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) in conservation of nature. The judge termed it as ‘rape’ of nature.