Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (SP)

Udupi, Feb 18: A delegation led by zilla panchayat (ZP) president, Katpady Shankar Poojary, comprising of ZP vice-president, Jyoti S Shetty, ZP members, Arun Shetty, Geetanjali Suvarna and Majoor gram panchayat president, Ganesh Shetty, met the district deputy commissioner (DC), P Hemalata, on Thursday February 17. The delegation held discussions with the DC on the issue of problems created to the people because of the fly ash of Udupi Power Corporation Ltd (UPCL) including contamination of underground water around the area.

The deputy commissioner assured the delegation that she will arrange for an early visit to the spot by officials of the environment and other departments, tahisldar, and people’s representatives, to take stock of the situation and find a lasting solution. She said that a notice has already been served on UPCL to find alternative ways and means to redress the grievances of the people.

Discussions were also held with the DC about the problems the people of Padoor have been encountering on account of the underground oil storage facility being set up there. The DC assured the delegation to take up water supply works to the village at the earliest, out of the package expected to be received from the company. Shankar Poojary said that the DC has assured them to  ask the company to redress the problems being faced by the people there.

BJP district president, Udayakumar Shetty, said that a delegation led by MP, D V Sadanand Gowda, will visit the project area of UPCL and study the problems on hand. Although Gowda has to attend the parliament session beginning on February 21, in view of the seriousness of the above problem, he will make it convenient to visit the spot within a few days, he said.

In the meanwhile, U R Sabhapaty has announced that he has postponed plans of joining JDS for the present, as he wants to find solution to the problem created by UPCL apolitically, before entering active politics after a brief hibernation.