Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (SP)

Udupi, Mar 24: Sri Vishweshateertha Swamiji of Pejavar Mutt here has written to state Chief Minister (CM), B S Yeddyurappa, urging him to address the sufferings of the people living around the Udupi Power Corporation Ltd’s thermal power plant near Nandikoor in the district at the earliest.

“Because of fly ash and saline water released by this plant, untold miseries are being heaped on these people. It has become very difficult for them to continue to live there. I have personally seen the difficulties faced by them, and the tribulations inflicted by the company on them. Although the company claims that it would adopt latest technology to avoid environmental damage, it has not kept up its promise,” he said in the latter.

The Swamiji told the CM that the state’s hunger for power does not give it any right to play with the lives of the people. Drawing the attention of the CM to the fact that he has been observing partial fast since March 19, he clarified that his protest was aimed at the company, and not the government. He asked the government to properly check the technology being adopted by UPCL, and ensure that it strictly follows the legal obligations and conforms to the rules of the Environment Pollution Control Board, and demanded for the setting up of a permanent monitoring committee to oversee coal transportation problem, fly ash, salty water etc, and to make alternate arrangements if the environmental pollution cannot be averted.

“I am happy that based on my request, you have scrapped plan to acquire 2,350 acres of land for the second phase of special economic zone here. However, as this land has already been denotified, the farmers are unable to get any benefits from the banks and government. Hence, this denotification order should be withdrawn as early as possible,” he demanded in the letter.