Udupi, 09 March 2011: The coal-based thermal plant of Udupi Power Corporation Ltd (UPCL) will wreak havoc on the environment in Udupi district and should be closed down, said Vijaykumar Hegde, Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) district unit president, here on Tuesday.

He was speaking at a dharna organised by the youth wing of the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office here. The dharna was supported by progressive groups such as the Students Islamic Organisation of India, Karnataka Komu Sauharda Vedike, District Minorities Forum, Zilla Muslim Okkoota, Catholic Sabha, Christa Okkoota and Maitri Yuvak Mandal.

Mr. Hegde said Udupi is an eco-sensitive district. The thermal plant had been set up at Yellur in Udupi district without following proper norms such as the study of carrying capacity of the district, environmental impact assessment and public hearing. As a result, there were problems such as fly ash, bottom ash, and saline water from the thermal plant.

There was dense fog in the areas surrounding the thermal plant in the mornings. There had been a rise in the temperature in the area. It was only after intense protest by KRRS at the power house of the UPCL near Padubidri on March 4 that the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board had taken serious note of the pollution by UPCL.

The thermal plant had been affecting agriculture in about 35,000 acres of land around it. It had affected jasmine cultivation in the area. The KRRS had been conducting house-to-house survey to study the damage done to agriculture by the plant. Nearly 250 wells in the region had been contaminated.

The UPCL had been using saline water for the disposal of bottom ash. “These are the problems only after a part of the project has become operational. Once the project becomes fully operational, the scale of problems can be imagined,” he said. All political parties were supporting the UPCL. “But the people of the district cannot be fooled any longer,” Mr. Hegde said.

President of Dakshina Kannada unit of the Youth Wing of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Mohammed Kunhi said that leaders of the movement against the thermal plant should be on guard against the moves of the company and politicians to divide it. Secretary of State unit of Humanitarian Relief Society Akbar Ali and writer Hayavadana Moodusagri were present. The protesters took out a rally from the Service Bus Stand to the Deputy Commissioner’s office.

Air polluted

The former MLA and president of UPCL Hatao Andolana Samiti U.R. Sabhapathi said on Monday that for the last two days, there was dense fog from Kaup to Mulki from midnight to seven in the morning due to the smoke coming from the chimney of the thermal plant of Udupi Power Corporation Ltd (UPCL).

In a press release issued here, Mr. Sabhapathi said that the smoke from the chimney instead of going up, was getting collected below, creating the fog. This had frightened the people of the region. The Government should take immediate action on this matter.

Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa had on Tuesday said in Bangalore that the Government would solve the problems being caused by the thermal plant of Udupi Power Corporation Ltd. By this statement, the State Government had finally agreed to the fact that the thermal plant of UPCL was damaging agriculture, polluting water and creating health problems, the release added.