Koppal: Farmers in Koppal district, Karnataka, have been facing severe losses due to dust from highway construction. Several horticultural crops, such as lemons and pomegranates, have been badly damaged. Farmers have complained to the Pollution Control Board and the District Collector; however, they have not received any response. In several areas of the district, lemons are falling prematurely from the trees, damaging the crop.
A massive number of lemons have fallen in the fields due to excessive dust. Farmers don’t have any option except to watch their ruined crops. The situation is even worse in Kandakur village, where farmers are dealing with both the dust issue and their worsening economic condition.
The dust from Oriental Structural Engineering Pvt. Ltd. settles on crops, damaging them and creating havoc among horticultural farmers. They are also anxious about their pomegranate crops. Several farmers have stopped cultivating them due to these challenging conditions, creating financial hardship for farmers.
This ongoing issue for horticultural farmers has persisted for more than a decade. Excessive dust has ruined their harvests. Farmers have repeatedly appealed for dust control measures, but their efforts have been in vain. They have contacted the Pollution Control Board, the District Collector, and local authorities, but no action has been taken yet to control the dust. Therefore, farmers are not able to grow horticultural crops easily.
