DHNS

Udupi Sep 4: MLA Manorama Madhwaraj has written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh stating that the Lanco and Nagajuna company is determined to set up a thermal power plant at Nandikoor in Ellur even amidst severe opposition from the locals and demanded that the move has to be stopped.

In the letter which was written on Monday, she warned that due to the proposed plant, environmental issues will loom large in the Udupi region and amidst social inequalities, fishermen will be at the receiving end.

Environmentalists and experts have conducted a survey in this regard and have already submitted a report, while others have knocked the doors of the court.

Still, with the help of local administration, efforts are being made to impose their will. As per the report presented by NEERI and DANIDA with regard to the pros and cons of the proposed project, it is clear that a thermal project will be detrimental to the region.

The State government has argued that as there is deficiency of power supply, setting up the power project has become necessary. If it is necessary, the locals have expressed support for setting up a gas based power plant.

Hence, companies like Reliance must be asked to set up gas-based power plant and the State government must give up plans to set up the thermal power plant, she demanded.

Kaup Congress

The Kaup Congress unit has submitted a request to the Governor through the Deputy Commissioner on Saturday, to stall the setting up of the thermal power plant. Since 1983, efforts were on to set up a thermal power plant in the region while the public has been continuously opposing the same.

During the last two years, much resistance and protests were help against the proposed project.