Udupi: Fly Ash of UPCL Heaps Untold Miseries on Locals
News & Pics: Inchara Digitals, Chetan Padubidri
Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (SP)
Udupi, Feb 4: The fly ash generated by the coal-based power plant of Udupi Power Corporation Ltd (UPCL - formerly Nagarjuna), is being dumped in a large tank bed at Santoor Daddikere near Padubidri in the district. The ash rises to the sky in thick clouds frequently when the wind blows, and the pollution and other problems created by flying ash have turned hazardous for the people living around the area.
President of Udupi District Raita Sangha, Vijay Hegde, has demanded for the immediate intervention of the state Chief Minister to sort out this problem, failing which, he has warned that the farmers will plan measures of retribution against UPCL for failing to keep its promise.
Hegde, addressing a press conference on Thursday February 3, said that the company does not have permission to dump fly ash in the area, and that as per court order, fly ash should not be dumped on the ground. “The tank, the bed of which has been turned into dumping ground for fly ash, used to be the centre for enriching underground water table in the villages around here.
The coal ash that is being collected here, contains harmful substances like carbon dioxide, phosphorous, lead and mercury. The company is expected to release the ash into the sea as per the renovation and modernization plan of the company, and it is expected to maintain the level of loss of ash within 15 percent,” he claimed.
Hegde said that the environment, bushes, plants, trees, ground, water and air are getting polluted because of the ash, and the flying ash interferes with the liberty of life of cattle and school children. He said that weak and elderly people are suffering from asthma and other problems because of this ash, and houses are covered under thick blanket of ash, wells have been polluted, and agriculture has suffered irreversibly. Some locals said they are now forced to cover the food cooked at their homes, with the help of clothes, to keep it safe.
Medical officer of Mudarangady primary health centre, which is located adjacent to the UPCL plant, Dr Jagadish, corroborates the harm spread by ash with evidence. He says the incidence of health complications like skin diseases, allergy, cough, itching, breathlessness and other problems have seen an increase after UPCL came into being. He said that pollution of well water because of saline water of the project has been noticed, and testing report of well water, which contains this finding, has been brought to the notices of the district health officer and deputy commissioner.
Mudarangady gram panchayat president, Sunil Kumar Shetty said that his house, located about three kilometres away from the site, too suffers because of the fly ash. He said he supports the action of Raita Sangha against this menace.
Gram panchayat members from Mudarangady, Raita Sangh office bearers, and others were present at the press conference.