Pics: Inchara Digitals
Daijiworld Media Network—Udupi (RD/CN)
Udupi, Jul 20: “Even though a few leaders of my party are in favour of Udupi Power Corporation Limited (UPCL), I am in favour of justice. It’s not justified to supply electricity to various transmission grids in the state by causing irreparable damage to the environment and health hazards to the locals. UPCL needs to be shut down if it’s unjust,” said Udupi–Chikmagalur MP Sadanand Gowda while on his visit to Padebettu village that is affected by UPCL power plant.
UPCL was functioning in the neighbourhood of Nandikoor near Padubidri here amidst people’s opposition. The officers of UPCL were disregarding locals as UPCL was supported by many peoples’ representatives. The shoddy state of affairs of UPCL was exposed by ZP members Geetanjali Suvarna and Arun Shetty Padoor during the ZP meeting, which jolted the local MP and MLAs to go on a visit to affected villages.
Addressing media persons here on Tuesday, Gowda said that he had seen the plight of locals and the damage caused to their farmlands. “The effluents of coal being illegally released into farmlands and sea water used in cooling the boilers caused widespread damage to the eco-environment and the health of locals. The Environment Pollution Board functioning in Mangalore has failed to take early action on UPCL, and I have sought officials from their Bangalore office study the environmental impact on locals and their farmlands,” he added.
When the media persons queried him about the proposed setting of the ACC cement plant that can utilize the ashes from UPCL to manufacture cement, Gowda said that it would solve the issue of ashes that was polluting the farmlands in the neighbourhood. Gowda added that ACC officers will provide employment to 1,200 unemployed youth and he would support the proposal.
Gowda was accompanied by Kaup MLA Lalaji R Mendon, ZP members Geethanjali Suvarna and Arun Shetty Padoor, Tahsildar Prasanna Kumar, Prakash Shetty Padebettu, Ramakant Devadiga, Mitun Hegde, Raita Sangh Padebettu unit president Poovappa Poojary, and Ashok Poojary.
MP Gowda advised closure of UPCL dirt road:
It’s the unscientific road construction by UPCL of the sea pipeline in Tenka Yermal that has caused artificial floods in thousands of hectares of farmlands.
MP Gowda took UPCL officer Sudarshan Prasad to task at the spot by advising him to close the road also informed DC Dr Reju of this.
UPCL officers, who were functioning as per their wits and fancy, were tamed by the district administration to clear the road thereby causing the floods to slowly recede from the farmlands.