Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Mar 21: Minister for higher education, Dr V S Acharya, urged the people not to get confused and agitated about the proposed Netravati river diversion plan. “Paschima Vahini project is not meant for diverting the river. It plans to take rain water collected from Somwarpet and Kushalnagar through canals to water-starved Tumkur and Chitradurga district. The people of Dakshina Kannada district will in no way be affected by this plan,” he said, speaking to press persons here on Sunday March 20.

He also said that Mutts, temples, traditionally unique religious centres, and those which are managed through hereditary trusteeship, are planned to be kept out of the ambit of the act, through the upcoming bill that proposes to replace the earlier uniform religious endowments act.

He also expressed confidence that the teething problems the recently set up thermal power plant of Udupi Power Corporation Ltd (UPCL), will blow away soon. “It is but natural for a new plant to face initial hiccups. I have already spoken to Pejavar Swamiji, who has undertaken fast on this count. The Swmiji has been apprised of the fact that the UPCL officials have promised to stop damage to the environment at the earliest. UPCL cannot be done away with, as power is a very essential tool for progress and the state is badly in need of the same.  Even in Raichur, the problems of fly ash were encountered at first. UPCL has implemented latest technology that ensures that environment does not get damaged,” he explained.

He also claimed that the method to produce energy out of coal employed by UPCL has been proved to be the most efficient in the country. He also said that the forest department has given permission to draw 17 kms of power lines from the plant though the forests.