UPCL questioned on storage of fly ash

[email protected] (The Hindu)
March 8, 2011

upcl

Bangalore, March 8: Karnataka State Pollution Control Board has directed Udupi Power Corporation Limited to submit an action plan on how they propose to dispose of large quantities of fly ash that is being stored at their storage unit in Udupi.

Following complaints, and after inspections by its regional office, the KSPCB had issued a notice summoning UPCL officials to Bangalore. Farmer groups from Santhur village and the Mudrangady gram panchayat had filed complaints against the company, and had threatened to launch an agitation. They claimed that fly ash from the ash pond of the coal-based thermal plant was posing environmental and health hazards. Further, they also said that their crops were being impacted by pollution.

There was a plan to set up a cement unit with ACC Cements, which did not materialise, the KSPCB Chairman A.S. Sadashivaiah said. They have also been directed to set up an ambient air quality monitoring unit near the fly ash pond so the air pollution can be constantly monitored and records can be maintained.

“We will be strictly monitoring all the action that they will be taking. We are taking it up seriously, which is why we immediately issued the notice.”

He added that until they are able to make requisite arrangements from proportionate utilisation of fly ash, the permits for operation of the second phase will not be granted.

Speaking to media, a top KSPCB official said that the UPCL was storing no less than 25,000 tonnes of fly ash at its storage facility. “This is way above how much a storage unit can handle. Though they may be storing it in slurry form, the fact that they are not utilising 50 per cent of what they are producing (as is mandated) is in itself an issue,” the official said. The official added that only 200 tonnes is being pushed out for cement production in Chickballapur.


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News Network
May 29,2020

Bengaluru, May 29: A cost-effective state of the art glove box testing booth for swab collection was inaugurated by Karnataka Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar at Victoria hospital.

Inaugurating the specially designed booth for safer, easier and quicker testing, Medical Education Minister Dr Sudhakar said that the portable booths can be used at border check posts and hot spots.

"The testing method involves the collection of samples from inside a box of aluminium and glass. The suspected corona virus-infected individual, whose samples are being taken, has to walk up to the booth and stand in front of the glass exterior. The healthcare worker inside the kiosk collects the sample and then, follows the sanitisation process before proceeding to take the next sample. The collection process, fully contactless, gets over in five minutes," the Minister said.

Dr Sudhakar also said: "This booth significantly reduces manpower requirement and the need for PPE kits. The main advantages of this procedure are that it needs fewer healthcare workers and strictly adheres to the norms of social distancing. 

The booth is low-cost. Each model costs about Rs 15,000-20,000."
It is also portable and can be mounted on a vehicle and transported to any location.

It can be particularly useful for collecting samples in hot spots and border checkpoints, he added. 

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News Network
July 14,2020

Bengaluru, July 14: Ahead of the week-long lockdown in Bengaluru starting from Tuesday night, around 35,000 people have left the city and grocery stores and liquor shops are witnessing a rush with customers thronging to stock up on for the shutdown.

According to transport department officials, labourers from other parts of the state migrated in good numbers from Bengaluru ahead of the lockdown fearing that they would have to face similar challenges as they had to confront during the previous shuttering. 

"Yesterday 35,000 passengers left Bengaluru. The number is big given the fact that we are allowing a limited number of passengers in the buses to maintain social distancing," a KSRTC official said.

Tipplers made a beeline for liquor shops and a senior State Excise official said liquor worth Rs 230 crore was sold on Monday alone.

"There was apparently a mad rush yesterday.India Made Foreign Liquor worth Rs 215.55 crore and 14.83 crore worth beer was sold...," the officer said.

In view of the rising coronavirus cases in the city at an alarming proportion, the government decided to impose lockdown from Tuesday 8 pm till 5 am on July 22.

Later, Dharwad and Dakshina Kannada districts too decided to impose a lockdown for nine days and seven days respectively from Wednesday.

"For the past two days there is an unusual rush of customers in our store," an executive of the Metro Cash and Carry said.

According to him, people are buying grocery items and vegetables with long shelf life such as onion, potato, radish, carrot and beetroot.

A salesperson at the Star Bazaar too said people were thronging the store for the past two to three days.

During the Sunday curfew, Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai said the week-long lockdown will be stringent one and government has made all arrangements to address all concerns ahead of the shutdown.

As many as 19,702 people in Bengaluru have tested positive, of which there are 15,052 active cases, while 4,328 have been discharged.

The number of fatalities as of Monday is 321.

Across Karnataka, 41,581 people have tested positive for coronavirus including 24,572 active cases, 16,248 discharges and 757 deaths since the outbreak of the pandemic in the state.
 

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News Network
February 24,2020

Belgaum, Feb 24: Around 20 people entered a boys' hostel premises in Karnataka's Belgaum with rods and bats and destroyed properties allegedly over ragging of a girl by two hostel residents.

The incident took place on February 23 and was captured in the CCTV camera.

According to Belgaum Police, a gang of 20 people entered Dr BR Ambedkar post metric hostel premises in Belgaum with rods and bats. The group destroyed the properties of hostel, bikes, and scooters.

Police said this is an issue of ragging and during the incident, no students were injured.

Further, the investigation is underway.

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