Fly-ash dumping sparks health concerns around Udupi village

Udupi, January 3: Dumping of fly ash generated from the coal-based power plant (earstwhile Nagarjuna power project) in over 108 acres of land in Santhoor of Mudarangadi village, has been creating nuisance and health problems to the local residents.

Though the promoters of the project had promised to release the fly ash to ash pond in liquid form via pipeline, they failed to keep up their promise and have been simply dumping loads of fly ash without any precautions. Tippers have been dumping over 30 loads of fly ash round the clock.

The ash pond has already swallowed the entire Toudukere, a natural lake, which was proposed for the Rs 1 crore Swajala Dhara yojana by the grama panchayath. But they (Udupi Power Corporation) converted Toudukere in to ash pond without obtaining any permission from the grama panchayath, said the local grama panchayath president Sunil Kumar.

With the fly ash spreading in the atmosphere the local coconut gardens and jasmine gardens have stopped yielding desired crops. One can even find layers of fly ash accumulated on the floor of all the houses in the area.

People have already started complaining of health problems. Dr Jagadeesh from Primary Health Center Santhoor said that the number of out-patients visiting the PHC had doubled since last five months. “Earlier only 20-30 out patients used to come to our PHC. Now over 50 patients visit us only a daily basis. 25 per cent of them complain of breathing disabilities and another 25 per cent complain of asthma,” he said.

Sundari Shetty, an owner of 3 acres of agricultural and horticultural land has been suffering from asthma since three months. “As all my children are working in Bombay, nobody is here to look after me. I cannot leave this place to settle with my sons in Bombay, as the spirits we worship, go unattended here'', she adds.

President of Udupi unit of Raitha Sangha Vijay Kumar Hegde along with their activists on Thursday inspected the fly ash menace and demanded the Chief Minister to interfere and also send a team to study the ill effects of the project, as assured.

If the government fails to look in to set right the problem, Raitha Sangha would intensify the protest in Udupi, DK and Hassan districts (where the works have begun for setting up the power transmission line), Shetty warned.