Panditaradhya Shivacharya Swamy of Sanehalli Mutt participating in the anti-Baldota agitation at Koppal on Saturday.
The ongoing agitation against the Baldota Group’s proposed steel plant on the outskirts of Koppalu completed 100 days on Saturday, with protesters intensifying their opposition through a massive public rally and renewed calls for collective resistance.
Addressing the gathering, senior seer Panditaradhya Shivacharya Swamy of Sanehalli Mutt urged the people of the district to come together and demonstrate their opposition through democratic means, including calling for a boycott of the elections if the project is not withdrawn. He was speaking at a protest organized by the Koppal District Bachao and Environmental Protection Forum near the bus stand.
“Development must not come at the expense of people’s health, agriculture and the environment. Real development as envisioned by Mahatma Gandhi’s Sarvodaya concept can only be achieved when environment, agriculture, health, education and governance progress together. What we are witnessing here is the opposite. The condition of the villages surrounding the industrial zones reflected a grim reality,” the seer said.
Questioning the role of regulators and alleged lax enforcement of pollution standards, the seer called for strict monitoring and prevention of industrial expansion. “If excessive smoke from a private vehicle warrants penalties, how can large industrial enterprises emitting pollution escape scrutiny? I am appealing to all elected representatives to participate in the mass agitation planned for February 24, and I say the protest will only end if the proposed power plant is stopped,” he said.
Call the bandh
As part of the resolutions passed in the meeting, the forum announced a voluntary Koppal bandh on February 24, commemorating a similar shutdown that took place in 2025 under the leadership of Gavisiddeshwara Mahaswamiji. A massive protest march was planned from the Gavi Mutt to the taluk stadium, with organizers aiming to mobilize more than 10,000 people, including students and women.
The resolutions also included the return of tree guards and cement benches allegedly provided as part of the company’s CSR initiatives, which it described as an attempt to “mask environmental damage”. The protesters demanded a comprehensive health survey of 20 nearby villages and sought measures to restore the environment and public health, including relocation of polluting industries based on expert opinions.
Other demands included the closure of factories allegedly polluting the Tungabhadra River, the supply of treated drinking water to people and livestock until the pollution is resolved, the immediate return of the Basapur public lake to community control, and increased opposition to the proposed expansion of the Bhadrashree factory.
Several speakers, including writers, activists, lawyers and farmers, highlighted concerns for the health and livelihood of residents from villages like Hirebagnal, Halavarti, Kunikeri, Ginigera and Basapur. Farmers from the affected villages displayed their damaged crops at the spot, raising slogans against the government and industrial policy.
As part of the program, a blood donation camp was also organized in cooperation with the Red Cross, which symbolized solidarity with affected communities.
The event ended with the formal adoption of resolutions and cultural performances highlighting environmental concerns. The organizers said that the agitation will continue until their demands are resolved and reiterated that the public mobilization will further intensify in the coming days.
Published – 07 Feb 2026 20:10 IST