Bhatkal: Residents of Bailur Gram Panchayat in Bhatkal taluk have protested repeated incidents of illegal garbage dumping along the Bastimakki–Edabidru road, demanding immediate action against those responsible.

The latest incident occurred on Tuesday night when villagers intercepted a vehicle allegedly dumping waste and handed it over to Forest Department officials.
Garbage dumped along the roadside has created a foul smell, causing inconvenience to residents and motorists. Villagers also expressed concern that stray cattle have been feeding on the waste, posing a threat to their health.

Despite repeated clean-up drives by residents, unidentified vehicles continue to dump garbage at the site under the cover of darkness. The area falls under the jurisdiction of the Forest Department, and warning signboards installed by the Gram Panchayat have failed to deter the practice.

Residents blamed the absence of electricity poles and streetlights for enabling illegal dumping at night. They said repeated representations over the past two to three years to the Gram Panchayat, concerned authorities and public grievance meetings have failed to yield a permanent solution.

The villagers have urged the authorities to install electricity poles and streetlights, deploy CCTV cameras and intensify night patrols to curb illegal dumping. They also demanded strict legal action against the offenders.

The dumping site is located near Murdeshwar, one of Karnataka's major tourist destinations.

Residents warned that the continued dumping could damage the local environment and adversely affect tourism, urging the district administration to intervene and provide a permanent solution.