Whitewash leaves black trail

According to experts in the Mines and Geology Department, the age of the rocks in the region ranges from 6,000 million to 30,000 million years. These are eco-fragile and sensitive to chemicals. Apart from eroding their rich habitat, the paint will also harm their natural shape, experts point out.

As reported earlier in The New Indian Express, the companies which had ads painted on the rocks include Coramandal Cement, Kwality’s Coffee, Detective Security Service of Bangalore and Relaxo Shoes. The Forest Department has been on the lookout throughout the state for offenders defacing the rock faces.

In September last year, the Supreme Court had served a notice on the Advocate General of Karnataka to file a response on findings of an expert committee on commercial painting on the rocks in Billanakote.

Department of Mines and Geology Director Basappa Reddy told this paper that it would be difficult to rectify the damage caused to the rocks by the paint. He points out that the corporates could have instead heeded experts and used solutions like detergents to erase the ads. ‘‘What they have done is only to cover their misdeeds,’’ he said.

Principal Secretary of the Department of Forests, Environment and Ecology N. Gokulram denied having any knowledge of the blackening of rock faces in Billanakote. ‘‘If they (corporates) have done this, I will verify it and initiate action,’’ he said.

Gokulram maintained that the department had already initiated action against corporates responsible for the commercial exploitation of the rocks and had also filed its response to the Supreme Court as per its direction.

Following a story in The Indian Express on a similar case of defacing of rocks along the Kullu-Manali-Rohtang route in Himachal Pradesh, the apex court had imposed a whopping Rs 5-crore fine on some popular multinationals. Besides, it had also fined the Himachal Pradesh government Rs 1 crore.