Nrupatunga Betta pipeline vandalised again: Walkers launch video campaign
Disappointed by this repeated sabotage, the walkers have now turned to social media, launching a video campaign urging the forest and police departments to intervene and protect their initiative.
Channu Hosamani and Dr Srikant Mayannavar, convenors of Nrupatunga Walkers, told TOI that an average of 15 members of the association work in the hills voluntarily every day. "We spent about Rs 1.5 lakh on the pipeline work.
However, miscreants have been vandalising pipes repeatedly. They should understand that the hills are like an oxygen tower, and miscreants are also beneficiaries of this place gifted by nature.
Irked by this act, many of our association wanted to picket the forest department and police station seeking action against the culprits. We have convinced them to reach miscreants through our video appeal. We are also urging the forest and police departments to prevent such acts," they explained.
They said they planted 26 saplings in association with the Rotary Club on Sunday, and the pipelines were found vandalised on Monday morning.
Gopalappa, Vijay Guddad, and Shridhar Jawalkar, other walkers, said that miscreants are also axing some trees grown to about 10-12 feet. "We normally plant 8-feet saplings. Once they grow, they are being axed at the stem so that they go dry gradually," they alleged.
Hosamani demanded the arrest of the culprits and that forest officials should recover the loss incurred by this act.
RS Uppar, range forest officer, Hubballi, said they have initiated action in this regard. "We have deployed a guard there and have kept vigil on some suspicious persons. When we enquired some suspicious persons, they denied being involved in the act. If we nab the culprits, we will take action as per the Forest Act," he stated.
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