Daijiworld Media Network - Moodbidri (SP)

Moodbidri, Mar 23: The central and state governments have dropped the plan to build a 4,000 mw capacity ultra-mega power project (UMPP) proposed at NIddodi village, Kallamundkur, Moodbidri taluk. This information was given to Matru Bhoomi Samrakshana Samiti, Niddodi by additional director (project), Power Company of Karnataka, in writing.

The central power corporation, with the support of Power Finance Corporation Ltd, had proposed to build the said plant at Niddodi seven years ago. The villagers had protested against it in 2012. This was followed up with processions, hunger strikes, post card movement etc. The committee went to New Delhi a number of times and brought pressure on the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, energy minister Jyotiraditya Scindhia, union minister Oscar Fernandes, Veerappa Moily, Sonia Gandhi and MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, urging them against sanctioning the said power plant at Niddodi.

The energy department in the state, through a letter addressed to the central government last year, said it has shelved the project. As a result, Niddodi will retain its lush green environs and the people living in its surroundings will be spared of pollution.