Steel factory dust damaging crops, farmers in distress

Koppal: The Koppal taluk is home to numerous steel factories. The factory managements , who obtained government licenses with the promise of not releasing dust into the environment or ensuring its treatment, are now violating these commitments by releasing dust during nighttime operations.

This dust is settling on crops, with fruit and vegetable farms visibly covered in dust. When morning breaks, these crops are left with a layer of dust on them, severely affecting their quality. This is causing a significant issue for farmers in the surrounding villages like *Halavarti, Kunikeri , Banagal, where crops of Papaya and Banana are going unsold.

Farmers have spent thousands of rupees cultivating their crops, only to find that traders are refusing to buy their produce. In the market, papayas are sold for `15 per kilo, and bananas for `10 per kilo. However, traders in areas like Halavarti are hesitating to purchase the crops, citing that the fruit is covered in dust, which will cause it to spoil quickly. They say, “No one will buy fruit that’s covered in dust,” leading to massive losses for the farmers.

Farmers like Markandeya from Halavarti and hundreds of others from nearby villages have been growing horticultural crops, but now they are facing an unprecedented crisis. “We trusted agriculture as a livelihood, but now the factory dust has made it impossible to continue farming,” said Markandeya. Although farmers have repeatedly appealed to the factory owners to prevent the dust from being released, the factory owners simply claim, “We are not releasing any dust.” The farmers have filed complaints with local representatives and officials, but there has been no response or action.

When Media team reached out to several factory owners, but most responded with the same claim: “We are not releasing dust.” However, none have provided an official statement on the issue.

The government must step in to support these farmers in distress. Specifically, there needs to be stricter regulation of factory emissions, particularly the dust and smoke released during nighttime operations. The government should enforce penalties for factories that violate these rules. Additionally, factories that are causing crop damage should be required to compensate the farmers for their losses.

Farmers need immediate relief, and it is the responsibility of the authorities and elected representatives to take action and protect the livelihoods of those affected.