Inchara Udupi
Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (SP)
Udupi, Jun 14: Relating to the risks posed to the villagers of Adve by the high tension wires transmitting power generated by Udupi Power Corporation Ltd’s (UPCL) plant at Nandikoor near Padubidri, district in-charge minister, Vinay Kumar Sorake, held talks with the official representing UPCL, Sudarshan.
High voltage cables pass through a huge tower installed in the agricultural fields owned by Nathu Shetty in Adve village near the plant. As these cables are not located too far above the ground, electric waves flow through the fields. As conducting activities in these fields has become impossible, agricultural activities on several acres of agricultural fields have come to a standstill.
The villagers say that they experience electric shocks while moving from under these cables. As the risk of power leakage is more during the rainy season, they are fearful about the deadly consequences they may have to face in the coming months. These high tension cables pass through a road in Adve-Nandikoor area at a low trajectory. There have been frequent complaints that falling rain water and cloudy weather increases the feeling of shock waves in the bodies of those passing through this area.
The earlier complaints made by the villagers to Mescom, UPCL contractors, UPCL official, Sudarshan Prasad, and political leaders, had fallen on deaf ears. They had been complaining that the fear of losing their lives has been planted in their minds by the coal-based thermal power plant of UPCL.
After discussing the issue, Sorake said that he is yet to completely grasp the issue and collect all the relevant materials in detail. He said he had come to know of this problem through the media two days back, and promised to initiate steps as may be necessary, after holding discussions with UPCL officials further.
UPCL official, Sudarshan, said that his company is not responsible for the problem, as transmission of power is handled by Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Ltd. He added that the company has all the details, and that it has also written to KPTCL to sort out the issue. He hoped that the problem will be addressed in a couple of days.