The Hindu

Mangalore, Jan 9: Members of Dakshina Kannada Parisaraskta Okkuta, a group interested in environment protection, staged a dharna in front of the office of the Deputy Commissioner here on Monday to urge the Government to drop works on setting up of Nagarjuna thermal power station at Padubidri in Udupi district.

Speaking on the occasion E. Vital Rao Kinya, president of the okkuta, said that 39 organisations in the district, including self-help groups and non-government organisations, supported the dharna.

He said that Nagarjuna Virodhi Horata Samithi had given a call to block National Highway 17 from Byndoor to Talapaday on January 13 to oppose the setting up of the thermal power plant. With this, the samithi has indicated that it would intensify the protest against the project.

The samithi members have been conducting relay-dharna in Padubidri since December 22. But the State Government had ignored them, he said.

The Government should invite the office-bearers of the samithi for talks. The samithi's demands should me met to prevent the problems that could occur in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts.

The okkuta submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister through Deputy Commissioner M. Maheshwar Rao. The memorandum asked the Government to conduct a study on the bearing capacity of undivided Dakshina Kannada. Upendra Hosabettu, general secretary of the samithi, was present.

National Fishermen Forum, Chair in Christianity, Mangalore University, Urban Research Centre, Mangalore, Prajna Counselling Centre, YMCA, Mangalore and LINK de-addiction centre supported the dharna.

Groups clash

Udupi Correspondent reports: The pro and anti-Nagarjuna groups clashed at Saje in Mudrangady village, where survey works for the proposed 1,015 MW coal-based Nagarjuna Power Project are being carried out on Sunday.

Superintendent of Police A.S. Rao told The Hindu that the trouble started when a contractor working for Nagarjuna Company entered the land belonging to Lakshmi to fell a tree. But Ms. Lakshmi objected to it saying that she had not accepted compensation for the tree.

Over 50 people, along with Manorama Madhwaraj, MP, and Lalaji Mendan, MLA, arrived at the spot and objected the work. Camera of a stringer of a Kannada daily was damaged in the clash.

Police arrived at the spot and brought the situation under control.