MADIKERI: Leakage of compressed natural gas (CNG) from a fuel station at the Kudlur industrial area in Kushalnagar taluk sparked health concerns among residents of nearby areas. On Thursday morning, they descended on the CNG station and demanded that the place be shut down.
Leakage of CNG started on Wednesday evening and soon, a foul smell engulfed nearby areas in a radius of 10 km. Some children and aged people also complained of vomiting, regurgitation and weakness. Panicked residents of the villages, along with gram panchayat president Bhaskar Nayak, they descended on the CNG station and vented their anger.
“The CNG leakage occurred due to the negligence of the staff. The fuel station has been set up in a residential area and it can affect the health of health of people. If there was any loss of life, who would have been held responsible?” they questioned and insisted that the CNG station cease operations.
Kushanlnagar tahsildar Kiran Gowraiah visited the spot and collected information about the gas leak. “After the locals complained, an inspection was conducted on Wednesday night. The fuel station staff said the leak occurred when they were conducting tests and the leakage has affected the health of some people. The fuel station has been directed to cease operations temporarily”, he said.