Udupi: Nagarjuna Power Project: Affected Farmers Stage Protest


Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)

Udupi, May 20: Members of the Rajya Raita Sangha and the Green Army staged a protest in front of the office of the district deputy commissioner here on Tuesday May 19, alleging that Udupi Power Corporation (erstwhile Nagarjuna) has forcibly dug trenches in the fields of the farmers for its pipeline, without paying compensation to them.

They demanded the work of digging trenches to be stopped with immediate affect, payment of compensation at the rate of Rs 50 lac per acre of land, withdrawal of cases registered against the farmers and removal of mud heaped in the lands of the farmers. The protestors also demanded for payment of Rs 15,000 per acre as compensation for the crop loss, as the farmers have not been able to cultivate the land because of the trenches that have not been closed as yet.

While Giriyappa Yermal Tenka said that 121 coconut trees, 51 coconut saplings, several mango and cashew trees besides hundreds of banana trees standing in his plantation had been uprooted with the help of backhoe, another farmer Kasim Khan alleged that his coconut plantation had been torched by the company people.

Raita Sangha state general secretary N S Verma said that the power can be produced with the help of solar, wind and waves. The thermal power plants are started by vested interests, as they are profitable for the peoples' representatives, he alleged.

Rajya Raita Sangh and Green Army state vice president Guruswami gowda, Dakshina Kannada district president of the organization Rohitaksha Rai, Prakash D'Souza, K Somappa, Gidde Gowda, Dhanakeerti Balipa, Ashokraj, Raghuram Shetty and many affected farmers participated in the protest.

  

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Comment on this article

  • Balakrishna Shetty, Yellur, Udupi/Dubai

    Thu, May 21 2009

    I appeal to Rita Sangh and Green Army that payment of higher compensation is not the solution. It is proved in Dahanu that the power plant will seriously impair the rice and coconut production thereby hitting the farmers hard all over the region. The power plant is now secretly putting up 1500MW with 1200mw in the 1st phase as against the awarded 1015mw. It is using Chinese old-world substand and cheaper equipments which will be at least 21% poorer in emission control.

    This also means burning nearly 14000 tons of coal every day instead of 10000tons. Human health will have devastating affect in the area so will the case of the drinking water. The company is deceiving the State to the tune of nearly 1152 crores and as such it is the duty of every citizen to rise and stop the implementation of this project. Janajagrithi Samithi is trying its best through legal means.

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